Italy World Cup winner warns Bayern about Atalanta: ‘Don’t take it lightly’
Italy World Cup winner and former Bayern Munich star Luca Toni feels the Bavarians ‘must not underestimate Atalanta’ in the Champions League Round of 16: ‘If they take it lightly, it’s a risk.’
Atalanta and Bayern Munich meet in the Champions League Round of 16 with the first leg played in Bergamo on Tuesday, March 10.
Toni warns Bayern about Atalanta
Bayern Munich are among the favourites to win the Champions League this season, and, naturally, “emirates online casinos” sees them as the most likely team to progress to the quarter-finals, where they’d meet the winner of the tie between Manchester City and Real Madrid.
Atalanta, however, have already shocked some European heavyweights this season, especially in Bergamo, with Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund both losing at the New Balance Arena in the previous Champions League phases.
“On paper, Bayern are much stronger than Atalanta. La Dea has good players, and they play good football with Raffaele Palladino on the bench, especially in the Champions League,” Toni, a former Bayern Munich and Fiorentina star, told Prime Video Italia.
“The coach has changed the team’s mentality. I’ve heard Juric didn’t have a good relationship with the team, but Palladino has recreated a good atmosphere inside the team, as it happened with Gasperini.”
Palladino replaced Juric at the start of November, and La Dea has since won 15 of 26 games.
Bayern Munich will travel to Bergamo without the injured Manuel Neuer, while Harry Kane should be available after missing Friday’s Bundesliga game against Borussia Monchengladbach.
“It’s all in their hands. If they are on their day, they are clearly favourites. Bayern have fantastic players,” Toni continued.
“That being said, they should not underestimate Aalanta, who have the confidence and the pride to have reached such a stage. It will be the game of a lifetime for Atalanta, and it’s a risk if Bayern take it lightly.”
Atalanta hope Ederson will be available on Tuesday after missing the last five matches due to an injury.
“Ederson is one of the most European players, one of the best,” Toni concluded.
“Let’s see who will play in attack, but Atalanta are characterised by team spirit, as everyone helps.”
Toni spent two seasons at Bayern Munich, scoring 58 goals in 89 games.
During his playing career, the former Italian striker won a Bundesliga title in 2007-08 and the German Cup in the same year.
With Italy, he won the 2006 World Cup. He was twice the Serie A top goalscorer, first in 2005-06 with 31 goals and then in 2014-15 with 22 goals, the same as Mauro Icardi.