Maurizio Sarri commended Franck Kessie’s character after the midfielder found the net in Atalanta’s 3-1 win against Venezia, which brought an end to a three-match losing sequence for the side. The Ivorian broke the deadlock before Nikola Krstovic added two more goals, handing Atalanta a strong cushion within the first thirty minutes.

Kessie, who rejoined Atalanta during the summer after five campaigns with Milan earlier in his career, also spoke about a possible return to San Siro. In his post-match remarks, the midfielder made clear he would be prepared for such an occasion.

Sarri commends Kessie’s character and impact

During his post-match media briefing at the New Balance Arena, Sarri stressed Kessie’s value to the squad, noting attributes that go well beyond what he delivers on the field.

“He’s a lad with great personality, and you could see that on the pitch. Lads like that are rare, and that’s an important detail in the dressing room,” the Atalanta coach said, with his comments reported by TuttoMercatoWeb.

Kessie, for his part, emphasised the significance of halting the losing run rather than dwelling on his own contribution. He recognised the challenges of adjusting to a new system but underlined the importance of carrying out the coach’s directions and giving maximum effort for the side.

“It’s always nice to score, but for me the team matters,” he told DAZN. The midfielder also shared his happiness for Krstovic, whose two goals could assist the forward in gaining belief.

When questioned about going back to San Siro, Kessie offered a short and assured reply: “Always ready.”

Atalanta’s second-half display worries Sarri

Even with the solid outcome, Sarri was not completely pleased with Atalanta’s performance. His side dictated the first period and built a three-goal advantage, yet the coach believed they surrendered control of the match after the break.

“In the second half we stopped pressing them in their half, and at certain moments we paid for it,” Sarri clarified. He further criticised the team’s play from the back, stating they were sloppy when building out and permitted Venezia to seize the initiative.

The coach was also dissatisfied with Atalanta’s execution in the final phases, though he did not view the display as weak as it may have seemed. Curiously, he thought the side grew more energetic following the dismissal.

“We need to be braver,” Sarri continued, pointing to increased courage and command as areas to address before the team’s upcoming match.

Elmas’s red card and Atalanta injury worries

Eljif Elmas was dismissed late in the game after VAR elevated his yellow card following a rash tackle. The sending-off means the midfielder will be unavailable for Sunday’s journey to Milan, a notable loss as Atalanta readies itself for the San Siro clash.

Sarri made scant effort to justify the call, implying Elmas could have sidestepped the challenge entirely. The episode deepened the coach’s worries after Raoul Bellanova and Giorgio Scalvini were both withdrawn midway through the second half.

Bellanova was dealing with discomfort in his glute, while Scalvini’s situation still needed evaluation. Sarri did not give a conclusive update on either player’s fitness.

The coach will consequently need to track the situation as Atalanta enters a demanding stretch of matches, with their next engagement coming against Pafos in the Conference League on Thursday.

Sarri discusses Atalanta’s setup and selection decisions

Sarri opened the match with a 4-2-3-1 shape, picking Krstovic over Gianluca Scamacca. Atalanta afterwards reverted to their usual 4-3-3 system, with the coach calling the initial arrangement an alternative option for the team.

He clarified that the choice to field Krstovic stemmed from a wish for more attacking depth, while Elmas was picked to add further balance. The forward validated his selection by netting twice in the first half.

Sarri also evaluated Jonathan Rowe’s showing, complimenting his input during the first hour but noting the winger still has significant space to grow.

“He did well for 60 minutes, then faded. In my opinion, he has a lot of room for improvement,” the coach said.

With Pafos up next, Sarri wants Atalanta to replicate the approach they displayed before the interval and retain control for extended spells. He also noted that the scoreline shaped his substitution strategy, explaining he would have made multiple changes had his team stretched the lead to 4-1.

The task now is to bring that first-half intensity into Thursday’s European tie while fixing the lapses that let Venezia back into the contest.

Luciano Spalletti stands by his decisions at Juventus after the 1-1 draw with Cagliari, criticizes Yerry Mina and explains what happened during the sending-off that also involved Fabio Pisacane. “They are good at wasting time.”

The Bianconeri controlled possession in Sardinia but got very little from it, going into halftime trailing 1-0 with only one shot on target.

Daniel Maldini had scored for the fourth consecutive Serie A match, but as the second half wore on Juventus began to put Elia Caprile under pressure, especially after Edon Zhegrova came on.

In the 81st minute, Kerim Alajbegovic whipped in a cross from the left for Randal Kolo Muani to head in at the far post, leveling the score and netting his first goal of the season. Shortly after, the striker could have scored again, but his powerful volley struck the lower part of the crossbar.

At the final whistle tensions rose when the two coaches approached each other to shake hands. An unusual scuffle ensued, leading to the dismissal of both Spalletti and Fabio Pisacane.

“Nothing happened. I told him they play good football and are good at wasting time. He replied: ‘What do you mean by wasting time?’ And we were both sent off. Nothing serious happened, all quite normal,” Spalletti told DAZN Italia.

Kolo Muani admitted he felt “better” after Nick Woltemade came on, because his presence brought more men into the box and allowed him to move more freely, escaping the marking of defenders.

Asked about the possibility of fielding two strikers, Spalletti defended his tactical choices.

“In the first half I moved McKennie to the left and put Nico Gonzalez in the middle, to do the job that Woltemade later performed.

“Let’s not forget that Nico Gonzalez is a second striker and is the best header of the ball we have in the squad. The system has remained the same since I moved McKennie. Kolo Muani was the center-forward, with Nico Gonzalez behind him, but they were free to swap positions.

“If Kolo can move as he did today, which I really liked, he becomes harder to mark. We also had a scoring chance, but the ball hit Nico Gonzalez on the knee and went wide.

“The important thing is to have the right determination and mental strength. I’m not looking at tonight’s result, but I think about the fact that I’m almost 70 and I want to end my career on a positive note. I want to do well and I’m not thinking about the result, because the performance was good and the lads need to hear that.

“If we always play like this, I’m convinced we’ll win many more games.”

Despite their possession, Juventus had managed only one shot on target in the first half and continue to struggle to score in Serie A this season.

“Kolo Muani did well to score in the middle of all that traffic. Those are situations we find hard to exploit, but he managed to create the space he needed. He is physically strong and knows how to be decisive,” Spalletti continued.

“We just need to improve our finishing. I want to congratulate my players for the performance, but at the same time I’m a bit angry, because we should win these games.”

Asked whether the team lacked the character and grit that define their coach, Spalletti replied: “This squad has potential. We try to analyze situations and give something extra to make up for what we’re missing, but that’s normal.”

Cagliari defender Yerry Mina kept provoking his opponents and, according to reports, there was further tension with Spalletti in the tunnel during halftime.

“That’s exactly what happened last season. He drags us into his game with the behavior of a strong player…” Spalletti commented with some irony.

“You have to be protected from certain attitudes, but then you play and whoever takes home the points and prevails in the episodes has more strength. You have to be obsessed with victory, not wait for it to arrive by chance. We are the ones who must chase it and make it happen.”

With this draw, Juventus remain behind Cagliari in the Serie A table and have won only one of their last four league matches.