Atalanta vs Hapoel Tel Aviv: Sarri Prepares for Tough Match

Maurizio Sarri is braced for “a difficult match” as Atalanta try to finish the job in their Conference League play-off against Hapoel Tel Aviv on Thursday, with the tie finely balanced after a goalless first leg at the New Balance Arena.

The Italian coach, speaking to Sky Sport Italia via TuttoMercatoWeb, made it clear he wants conviction, not arrogance, from his side in the decisive return leg in Hungary.

“We saw in the first leg it’ll be a difficult match, but we have to be convinced we can do it,” Sarri said. “Clearly without becoming presumptuous. We want to play in a European competition. It’ll be tough against a team in great physical condition.”

De Ketelaere back, but only in doses

There is good news, with Charles De Ketelaere available again, yet Sarri is still weighing up exactly how far he can push the Belgian.

“He’s trained very little after the small adductor problem,” Sarri explained. “He did half an hour in the league, his usage will have to be partial. I don’t know whether to start him or bring him on, also because we don’t know how long the match will last.”

That uncertainty mirrors the situation at centre-forward. The choice between Gianluca Scamacca and Nikola Krstovic remains open, and Sarri is in no rush to close it.

“I haven’t decided yet,” he admitted. “They’re doing well and both seem to be improving. Over the season they’ll alternate based on who is in better shape, then we’ll also play them together.”

Hapoel threat unchanged

The first leg offered a clear snapshot of what Elyaniv Barda’s Hapoel Tel Aviv bring: organisation, legs, and a direct threat in transition. Sarri is not expecting a different picture this time.

“They gather well and then break well,” he said. “I don’t think they’ll change their attitude much, we’ll see.”

Hapoel arrive with confidence, having already knocked out Ludogorets and GKS Katowice to reach this stage. The second leg, moved to a neutral venue in Hungary rather than being played in Israel, adds another layer of strangeness to a tie that still feels on edge.

Sarri’s defensive blueprint still a work in progress

If Atalanta are to avoid a shock exit, Sarri knows his defensive line must grow into his ideas much faster. On that front, he did not sugar-coat the situation.

“It’s still lacking, there’s no point saying otherwise today,” he said of his defenders’ understanding of his demands. “The most difficult moment will be when they think they know how to do certain things and instead they still aren’t able to.”

Belief without complacency, intensity without chaos, and a back line still learning on the job: Atalanta walk that tightrope on Thursday, with their entire European campaign hanging on 90 minutes – or more – in Hungary.