Ranieri: “We’re up against a good side but we’ll battle”

Atalanta are the visitors to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Sunday, when Sampdoria will be looking to build on their crucial 1-0 win over SPAL last time out.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, Doria boss Claudio Ranieri urged his side to put the SPAL victory out of their minds and focus all their attention on the visit of Atalanta.

“The three points we got in Ferrara were vital for our league standing and to restore our self-confidence,” said Ranieri. “However, now we need to forget about that game and focus on the next one to build on the result and performance against SPAL.”

Atalanta lost their last league game at home against Cagliari before turning in an impressive performance to hold Manchester City to a 1-1 draw in the Champions League on Wednesday.

“They’re doing wonderful things, but I’m curious to see how they approach this game,” said Ranieri. “We know we’re up against a very good side. [Josip] Ilicic is a top player and although he won’t be involved, [Luis] Muriel will come back in – he’s someone you know well around here. They don’t seem to feel tiredness – they run more in the second half than they do in the first. I want to get it into the players’ heads that we need to fight regardless of the result. Let’s fight and then we’ll see what result we can get.”

Ranieri was tight-lipped when asked for an indication of how he will set his side up against Atalanta.

“I have a good number of players available, all of whom are valid options,” he said. “I always try to play the players who can cause our opponents problems. I don’t look at their age or contract. [Fabio] Quagliarella really cares about our cause and he understands that it’s not the end of the world if he misses one or two games. In any case, he’s looked better in the last few days and I think he’s fully recovered.”

Ranieri also praised the Sampdoria fans for their support at last night’s Eataly event.

“The restaurant was full and I met lots of fans who urged us on – it was a great event for a good cause,” he said. “The fans are vital. They’re our oxygen. When the players can’t give any more, they hear their support. They weren’t happy with the performance against Lecce, but they stayed behind us right until the end and we need them to do that again on Sunday.”