Former Atalanta Player Papu Gomez Believes Real Madrid Can Be Beaten As They Are Not Currently A Top Team
Real Madrid travel to Bergamo to face Italian side Atalanta in the Champions League on Tuesday, knowing a win is vital in their quest for qualification.
Ex-Atalanta player Papu Gomez spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport. The Argentinian believes his former team can cause Los Blancos plenty of problems because they are not at the top of their game.
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Real Madrid Are Not Seen as Solid in This Moment
Papu Gomez, seen as a club legend, spent seven seasons with La Dea (the Goddess) and is currently living back in the city, serving a ban from soccer due to a doping offense ending in 2025.
Gomez revealed that Atalanta does not fear any team and can beat Real Madrid on Tuesday, as the Spanish league champions are not as solid as they usually are at this time.
"Atalanta can hurt anyone, not just Madrid. Los Blancos are not at the top; they have players who are injured or who have just recovered; I don't see them as very solid."
Former Atalanta star Papu Gomez is confident that La Dea can beat Real Madrid on Tuesday, relying on Brazilian midfielder Ederson, who is among the ‘top 10’ midfielders in Europe. pic.twitter.com/AHkvL01EGB
— Football Italia (@footballitalia) December 9, 2024
He is correct; Real Madrid has suffered several significant injuries to key players, some not fully back to match sharpness. However, Carlo Ancelotti's side showed they can perform well against adversity, beating Girona 3-0 on Saturday.
Atalanta is in a great position in the Champions League standings. The Italians are in fifth place with 11 points, having not lost in their first five games. This game is much more critical for Real Madrid, who are in 24th, the final spot to qualify.
Los Blancos arrived in Bergamo on Monday before tomorrow's big game, which kicks off at 3:00 p.m. EST. Brazilian pair Vincius Jr. and Rodrygo also traveled with the squad after recovering from injuries.
🛬🇮🇹 ¡Ya estamos en Bérgamo!#UCL pic.twitter.com/A48VkVW0fN
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) December 9, 2024
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Jordan Merritt is a staff writer for Real Madrid On SI. Before joining On SI, he wrote at Fansided, covering Ole Miss football, basketball, and baseball. He has also written for YardBarker, Heavy Sports, and the official EFL site. Merritt is a big sports fan, spending most of his weekends watching Soccer, the NFL, the NBA, college football/basketball, and others. Before starting his career as a freelance writer, Merritt was an Engineer for over 10 years. He lives in West Yorkshire, England, and is keenly interested in sports trading cards.
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