Atalanta win the first leg of the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 after beating the German side Bayer 04 Leverkusen 3-2 at the end of an intense and engaging match. In the post-match interviews, Gian Piero Gasperini has something to be satisfied with: “Great game, great Atalanta side”.

Gian Piero Gasperini, what a beautiful performance from Atalanta!

“Yes. What a beautiful game! We undoubtedly saw a great Atalanta side! You put in great performances against worthy opponents. And this is undoubtedly a worthy opponent. The results they are getting in Germany also prove this. We have to be extremely satisfied with this victory. Intensity, speed, we saw everything in this game. The lads were outstanding, as the game started off with a goal for them, which could have been very dangerous for the continuation of the game. But we had such a wonderful interpretation of this game that we’re almost dissatisfied with this result.”

This match was entertaining, time flew by so fast. Was it the same for you on the bench?

“It was a lively match, very quick. There were also some great technical points, as all goals were fantastic and high-quality ones. We had a time in which we could have added a fourth and made it 4-1. Then we conceded that goal [the 3-2], and that’s the biggest regret, as we conceded that goal after managing to turn it around.”

It’s a great squad, it’s a great team. Malinovskyi scored again, Miranchuk also came on. It’s a situation that the whole squad are living, who are all close to them.

“Yes, absolutely. It’s clear that Malinovskyi is living this tragedy, as he has many friends and relatives still there [in Ukraine]. He’s always on the phone, so we are. We’re watching the news and trying to get as much information as possible. However, Miranchuk’s behaviour is also very nice, as he’s a mild-mannered guy, very docile, extremely polite. He feels almost embarrassed by this situation. This is to testify that people matter more than origins and other things.”

Coach, now there’s Genoa and then the second leg against Leverkusen. The decider will be played there [in Germany].

“We hoped we would travel to Germany having the chance to draw or to win. This result is a bit dissatisfying but we should be happy with it. We know we’ll have to play there against a team that have shown their quality. It won’t be easy, for sure. But we produced a strong display and this should give us confidence.”