Atalanta coach Raffaele Palladino expressed understanding and support for Berat Djimsiti after the costly defensive blunder essentially handed Inter the victory. Palladino emphasized the need for flawless execution when facing elite opposition, stating, “You have to be perfect against teams like this.”
The defeat meant La Dea failed once again to break their infamous curse against Inter, marking their ninth consecutive loss across all competitions against the Milan giants.
Atalanta initially thought fortune might favor them when Marcus Thuram’s goal was disallowed for offside. However, a severely misplaced pass by Djimsiti became a decisive gift for Francesco Pio Esposito, who quickly assisted Lautaro Martinez for the winning goal.
Palladino`s Forgiveness and Tactical Review
“Our strategy differed from recent years when Atalanta played Inter. If you press them high, they are incredibly adept at bypassing you,” Palladino told DAZN Italia.
“Therefore, we opted to sit back slightly. I believe we performed well without the ball, but we could have been more effective in hurting them on the counter-attack. We were a little too ineffective in the first half.”
“At half-time, I instructed them to push forward more, move the ball from side to side, and stretch the Inter defense. We improved significantly, but the unfortunate point is that we conceded that goal during a very balanced phase of the match.”
Atalanta had a golden opportunity for an equalizer late on, but Lazar Samardzic failed to convert a chance created by Charles De Ketelaere.
“I utilized every fresh pair of legs available, and we even shifted to a four-man defense. We generated that major chance with Samardzic, but regrettably, we couldn`t find the net,” Palladino added.
“I told the team that this defeat will aid our growth because, despite facing a magnificent team, we fought until the end and must accept the outcome. We now face another crucial fixture against Roma, so we need to put this result behind us immediately.”
Hug for the Veteran Defender
The match-winning mistake was highly unusual for Djimsiti, recognized as one of Atalanta`s most experienced and reliable defenders.
“I went to hug ‘Djimmi’ immediately after the final whistle because errors like this are so rare for him. I cannot be angry with him at all. It is just something that occurs over the course of a season; it happened to him tonight,” Palladino confessed.
He reiterated the high standard required at this level: “We lacked attacking potency tonight, and you must be perfect against teams like Inter. That means taking advantage of every slight opportunity presented, as there won’t be many. They are experts in defending and winning individual duels. Unfortunately, we lacked the necessary clinical edge, but we demonstrated resilience until the final whistle.”
The result represents a minor setback for Atalanta, who had previously enjoyed a strong run, winning seven of their last eight matches, including a Champions League triumph. They now sit level on 22 points in the Serie A table with Sassuolo and Udinese.
Looking ahead, Atalanta`s first match of 2026 will be an extraordinary event, as former coach Gian Piero Gasperini returns to Bergamo managing Roma. When asked if he feels pressure regarding comparisons to his predecessor, Palladino dismissed the notion.
“This is not a competition between me and the past or me and Gasperini. He served as a mentor to me, and I thank him profoundly for everything he taught me. But now, we must concentrate only on ourselves and our future. We have been in good form recently, both in Italy and the Champions League, and we will commit everything to win the upcoming game.”
