The first leg of the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals between Leipzig and Atalanta ends in a draw. It was an exciting match, which did not disappoint the expectations. The Nerazzurri coach Gian Piero Gasperini was also satisfied: “We played a good match”.

Gian Piero Gasperini, are there any regrets for not being able to win against Leipzig?

“Well, if you look at the 90 minutes globally, then we can have some regrets. We also should add that Leipzig had a few chances in which I can’t understand how the ball didn’t go in. We could win, we could lose. We put in a good performance.”

Leipzig are strong, are they a little less scary now?

“We’ve never been afraid of them. We knew Leipzig are strong. This was the ‘first half’ of the tie, the first 90 minutes, and it ended 1-1. The next leg will be in Bergamo, although we don’t have a great tradition there… But it’s a good result overall.”

We saw a great Atalanta side, this game entertained everyone who watched it.

“I received compliments from former players, saying it was a great game. I also had that feeling from the bench but I was obviously experiencing it directly. I think I’ll watch it again. I also had the impression it was a great game, one of those games you only see in European competitions.”

Now it’s time for the league, the Serie A is back on Sunday. How important will it be to get a good result against Sassuolo to be even more pumped and determined [against Leipzig]?

“It will be important for our league anyway. It’s undeniable that these games drain your energy. We’ll take stock, because tomorrow is already the day before the eve of the Sassuolo game. However, I think we’ll recover Djimsiti, Toloi and Mæhle soon. Zapata has made his comeback. We’ll see. We have to do well at Sassuolo as well because the league is important if we want to qualify for the European competitions again. Yet, the adrenaline is still high this evening after this match.”