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Match Preview: Leeds United v Atalanta - Whites end pre-season with tough Italian test
Friday, 29th Jul 2016 14:27 by Lucas Monk

Leeds United will complete their pre-season schedule when they host Atalanta tomorrow in a three o'clock kick-off, and the game presents a final opportunity for the Whites to gather some momentum ahead of the new campaign.

Leeds have won three of their four pre-season games so far, but Serie A club Atalanta will be the most reputable of the sides that United will have faced in pre-season. The Bergamo outfit finished a respectable 13th in Serie A last season, and what's more is that La Dea have won all four of the pre-season fixtures that they have contested so far this summer. Going into tomorrow's clash, Atalanta have already seen off Rap Val Seriana (1-0), Brusaporto (5-1), Lumezzane (5-3), and Chiasso (6-0).

Team News

Leeds - Centre-back Liam Cooper will once again miss out with a calf injury, but head coach Garry Monk is optimistic that he will be available for next week's season opener away to QPR.

Leeds - Gaetano Berardi should be available having recently recovered from a minor injury. The Swiss right-back trained with his teammates at Elland Road on Wednesday, and so he could well receive a start tomorrow.

Leeds - Winger Stuart Dallas is another returning player who is set for a start tomorrow, after taking an extended leave due to his European Championship exploits with Northern Ireland.

Atalanta - La Dea should have everybody in their squad available for selection. 22-year-old striker Gaetano Monachello, formerly of Monaco, could see some more first-team action after netting a brace in his side's 6-0 defeat of Chiasso earlier this week.

Media

Leeds United head coach Garry Monk is expecting Atalanta to provide stern opposition tomorrow, but he insisted that facing top-level opposition will only be of benefit to his team.

"They’ll be very tactically astute, they have a good energy and a high class of players playing in a top league in Europe,” Monk told leedsunited.com. “We’re expecting a really tough test. “It’s good for our young players to go through these experiences — that’s why I wanted this game.

“We could have settled for something of less class or something closer to our level, but our aspirations are to play in the Premier League. “Playing against a top level side will give our players a really good experience.”

Meanwhile, recent signing Kemar Roofe has admitted that he is relishing the prospect of taking to the Elland Road turf for the first-time.

“It’s very good — the surface is amazing,” he said. “That’s what you expect from a place like this and it was good to get out on it on Wednesday.

“It’s important to get to see the pitch and the surroundings, so that you’re not surprised by anything when it comes to Saturday.

“I can’t wait for Saturday. There’ll be a big crowd on Saturday and, when the season starts, it’s probably going to be packed. It’s going to be amazing."

Opposition Profile - Atalanta B.C.

Founded 108 years ago in 1907, Atalanta are steeped in history. The current club was formed as a result of a merger between Atalanta and another team called Bergamasca in 1924. Since then, the club have embarked on several impressive runs within European competitions, such as their run to the quarter finals of the UEFA Cup in 1998-99, where they were knocked out by Internazionale.

The club has just one piece of silverware to its name; the 1963 edition of the Coppa Italia.

La Dea are currently managed by Gian Piero Gasperini, after previous head coach Edy Reja was dismissed earlier in the summer, despite guiding Atalanta to a respectable 13th-placed finish in Serie A last season.

The club's roster boasts a number of internationals, such as Paraguay winger Marcelo Estigarribia, Slovenian midfielder Jasmin Kurtić, and Chile pair Carlos Carmona and Mauricio Pinilla, who play in midfield and in attack respectively.

Star Players

Leeds United - Kemar Roofe

The former Oxford talisman shone throughout the first-half of United's defeat to Peterborough last week, providing a fantastic assist for the opening goal that was scored by Alex Mowatt. If that performance is anything to go by, then United may have a real gem of a player on their books. Capable of playing on the either flank, in the hole, or as a striker, Roofe will most certainly be an integral component of United's attack throughout the upcoming season.

Stat Attack - In all competitions last season, Roofe scored an incredible 25 goals whilst also laying on another 12 goals for his teammates. His scintillating performances last season were a major factor in Oxford United's promotion to League One in 2015-16.

Atalanta - Jasmin Kurtić

A combative 27-year-old midfielder with over 30 caps for Slovenia, Kurtić has firmly established himself as a key figure at Atalanta since his arrival at the club in 2015. His passion, along with his aggressive approach to the game, have made him a firm favourite with the fans at Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia.

Stat Attack - Last season, Kurtić averaged 1.3 shots per game for Atalanta, whilst also maintaining a successful pass percentage of 78.5% - Meaning that Kurtić had a better pass success rate than Lazio's Senad Lulic and Juventus' Stefano Sturaro.

Attendance

Around 10,000 fans are expected to be in attendance at Elland Road for what will most certainly be an intriguing match, and we'll have a match report detailing all of the action, right here on To Ell and Back.

Writer's View Ahead of The Game

I'm looking forward to returning to Elland Road for the first time since April for what will undoubtedly be an interesting encounter. Atalanta appear to be a fairly reputable side with a far superior squad, so the game should make for a good test of our abilities. The Italians have to be made the favourites for this game, but hopefully Garry and the team can achieve a positive result ahead of next week's season opener away to QPR.

Photo: Action Images



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