Ranieri: “Determination needed against Atalanta”

Claudio Ranieri stressed that determination will be key for his side when they visit Atalanta on Saturday afternoon.

“Our last two wins against Fiorentina and Lazio have given us a bit more belief and we’ve showed the determination we lacked against Juventus and Benevento,” the coach explained. “Now we must keep that up.”

Gian Piero Gasperini’s side were hit for four by Napoli last weekend but bounced back with a convincing Champions League victory away to Danish outfit Midtjylland in midweek and the boss is under no illusions about what to expect.

“Anyone can have an off-game but they were back to their best in Denmark. They mark, run, battle, score, defend. They’ve really grown as a team over the years and they have two quality players for every position.

“We played very well against them in both games last year and I’d like to see us play like that: I want us just as determined as Atalanta.”