The BayArena was completely stunned this evening as Atalanta pulled of a last-minute 1-0 away victory against Bayer Leverkusen to secure their spot to the Europa League Quarter Finals. Gasperini expressed in a post-match interview that he was very pleased with his side’s performance within the Round of 16.
While it seemed like the Bundesliga side were going to score the breakthrough goal that would equalize the aggregate between both clubs, Jeremie Boga’s sublime individual goal to secure a last-gasp winner was enough for La Dea to cross the finish line.
Following Atalanta’s impressive victory where they displayed character and dedication, Gasperini spoke to Sky Sport Italia about his men’s overall performance: “It’s very satisfying to reach the Quarter Finals. We struggled a little in the second half, but overall qualified deservedly.
“Now we wait for the draw, but first we enjoy this evening. We could’ve done better, but we showed important values that are needed at this level too.
“I congratulated Gerardo Seoane, as he is getting the best out of a squad with lots of young talents. We are happy to have qualified, but it was really tough.”
In addition, the gaffer spoke briefly about the individual performances of Boga and star-stopper Merih Demiral: “Boga has these characteristics and we hope this goal can give him the confidence boost he needs for the rest of the season.
“Demiral has this physicality and is really strong in the air, but he’s also working hard and if he manages to become more of an athlete via training, he can improve a great deal. We are very happy with his performance.”
Finally, the Italian tactician was asked if he would be pleased to draw anyone except Barcelona in the next round Friday afternoon.
“There are other very tough teams too like Sevilla and West Ham. I never try to choose who I’d like before a draw.”