What do you guys think of Leverkusen getting a proper beating from Atalanta and ending their 51 games without a loss streak? Will this affect their performance next season? Do you consider them to be the favourite to defend their title (if no major changes to the team are made)?
Nothing surprises here. People were underestimating atalanta with its parking bus combined with high pressing. Look at how lookman destroyed leverkusen with decent scores. Bayern leverkusen is playing so badly against high pressing strategy from gasperini.
Atalanta has very good resources to play defensively and high press. The strategy used by leverkusen is just getting countered back by gasperini. Atalanta has been showing very good high pressing against leverkuen. They deserved it.
Other club can copy and paste atalanta's strategy in order to beat leverkusen with their xabi ball.
I think it was a sobering reality check and a signal that they need to continue working hard to repeat their success and nothing will be given to them for free. There was almost something magical about their undefeated streak, especially given the 3 recent 90+ minute equalisers, which could create an impression that there's some higher power behind them preventing them from losing. They might have believed it a little bit too much and got a cold shower.
It's only happening when leverkusen faces the bundesliga team. Things may be different when it was facing a club how to counter it like atalanta. Congrats for all of atalnta bettors. You guys got decent return from betting on atalanta.