Atalanta coach Gasperini gave an interview to DAZN after his team's 4-0 away victory against Lecce in Serie A's second round.

Coach, I have one opening question: did you expect your team to show such a positive attitude in such a difficult away environment today? Roma displayed strong aggression from the start and quickly controlled the match...

How should I put it? Well, after our training during last season, our entire team accumulated very valuable and rich experience in several difficult away stadiums, even "hellish" ones. Last season, we even played friendlies at stadiums like Dortmund's home ground. You know, there were 80,000 fans there, and the atmosphere was truly impressive.

Through these experiences, this team is certainly building ever-stronger confidence and a growing sense of security in our tactical approach and abilities, step by step. We're also showing more composure and maturity on the pitch. This shift in mentality has gone hand in hand with building our squad. We've started to assemble a very important, very large squad with real quality. At least in this regard, our club's recruitment and reinforcements have been well done, and the squad is gradually improving.

Of course, beyond that, Paulo Dybala's consistent form and Donyell Malen's stable, continuous attacking performances on the pitch have clearly motivated and encouraged the fighting spirit of the entire team greatly. Because other squad members, like Soulé, the midfielders, the defenders, and everyone else, are always there and have performed very consistently. And now, we finally have the means in attack to deliver decisive blows and settle matches.

Well, coach, it's great to see you, and congratulations. I think these two victories are completely dominant, exactly as the match situation reflected. You've been in total control, and these results are also the fruit of your work last season—finishing third last season gave you confidence and aligns with your philosophy of "continuous improvement" as a coach. Coach, where are the team's next areas for improvement? Because it's hard to see from the outside, that is, where do you hope to see further improvement to continue raising the level? After all, you seem to be starting this season with very ambitious goals...

No, no, our current priority is to expand the squad and strengthen our overall competitive capacity. In defense, we have the newly arrived Koulierakis and Balerdi; in midfield, De Roon certainly brings us strong assurance in terms of availability and fitness; in attack, we have the talented Rodrigo Mora, as well as Castro and Molina, players we have high hopes for.

Compared to last season, we're actually slightly short in numbers, but now we're preparing to welcome Pellegrini back, and I also hope Rensch can return as soon as possible. While we're a bit thin in quantity, in terms of quality, my goal is to improve the level of these players. That way, even if we face a situation like N'Dicka suddenly getting injured during warm-up today, we can still fill that gap successfully without losing overall squad depth. That's the main goal we're working toward—having 20 to 21 players with the best possible balance.

Coach, it's truly remarkable watching Donyell Malen play from the outside, because he possesses remarkable athleticism and explosive speed that few players have. I have to ask you, is he the strongest forward you've ever coached? Because he's extremely dangerous in front of goal, scoring roughly one goal every 90 minutes under your guidance, which is completely outstanding and always a pleasure to watch. I have to confirm this with you...

I've been fortunate to coach many excellent strikers, starting from my time at Genoa. You remember Milito, right? Wherever I've coached—at Atalanta, for example—I've always had top Serie A goalscorers or highly-rated strikers under my guidance.

Malen is perhaps slightly different. While he reminds me of Milito, his characteristics are a bit different from other strikers. He has the ability to control the ball, shoot, and accelerate explosively over very short distances, which allows him to directly overcome and escape defenders. These are extraordinary qualities for a striker, particularly for a center forward. I believe we both want him playing in this position, we've had very good trials, and now it seems to be working very effectively.

Yes, I think this message has been conveyed to his new national team coach, Xavi, in the Netherlands. After all, Malen often played on the left wing at the World Cup. Coach Gasperini, my question for you is: when you spoke about Malen just now, there was a slight smile on your face. So what makes you happier: Roma's excellent performance in these first two matches, or the fact that there are only 23 hours left before the transfer window closes? Also, when you get back to the dressing room, did you receive any updates from Toni D'Amico? Because there really isn't much time left before the window shuts...

No, I don't know anything. I still have to call him; I came straight here, so you certainly know more than I do. What makes me smile more is certainly Malen and the entire team's performance. I mean, Dybala's consistency, Rodrigo Mora's first goal—he's an extraordinary young man—and Soulé's display. In attack, we're trying to maintain our competitive edge and player depth. Clearly, if we know Dybala and Malen can always maintain this form, everything will be easier, but we also know things can't always be like this.

Coach, before we say goodbye, I want to ask about N'Dicka's physical condition, as we saw him get injured during warm-up and he limped off after the match. Also, I want to show you a poll we conducted with fans: 75% believe Roma is the biggest challenger to Inter Milan for the Serie A title this season. It seems everyone's enthusiasm has been awakened...

No, it's completely right for fans to be excited about these two victories and our perfect start. As for the title race, I always say Inter Milan are leading all other teams by a clear distance. Then there are other teams that have also made big signings, and in some respects, even more than us. Among them, Como certainly can't be considered an underdog anymore; they definitely have quality. Then there are the traditional powerhouses—Napoli, Juventus, and Milan—these teams are always there. We need to focus on our own path, our own journey, be satisfied with our performance, and try to do our best.

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