Sarri: Atalanta's win at Monza offers 'fuel' but confidence still lacking

Maurizio Sarri said Atalanta's away win over Monza can give his side "fuel" but admitted they remain mentally fragile, according to Corriere dello Sport. The match was decided by a Krstovic goal in the second half.

Sarri said the victory "can give us something" given a punishing schedule with around 10 players unavailable, leaving him with only 17 or 18 players including several from the youth ranks. He added that only five outfield players will be in training next week and hopes some injured players return during the second week of the break.

The coach was critical of his team's start, saying they were tense and contracted early on and not doing what they had prepared. He said Monza began to stretch the pitch after 25-30 minutes, and that after scoring Atalanta realised there were spaces to pass the ball, describing a side low on confidence in the first half that improved in the second.

Sarri also lamented his team's finishing, noting they had 18 chances but scored once across two previous games while conceding four from five against them, and said the next step is to exploit the chances they create more effectively.