Catania vs Atalanta preview - Colantuono hopes for reason to cheer

Posted Wednesday, September 26, 2012 by PA

Atalanta's Stefano Colantuono celebrates his 400th match as a manager against Catania and expects a tough clash against his former club.

The 49-year-old began his managerial career just over a decade ago with Sambenedettese and has been at the Nerazzurri helm since 2010.

Colantuono led Atalanta to the Serie B crown in his first full season at the club and, having established the Bergamo outfit in the top flight, is enjoying a good start to the 2012/13 campaign.

The Nerazzurri recently won at AC Milan before defeating Palermo last weekend and now head to Sicily as Colantuono looks to mark his 400th match as a manager in style against former club Catania.

"It is a very tricky away match," said Colantuono, who was in charge of Catania during the 2003/04 season.

"It is tricky due to both the opponent, whom I deeply respect, and because we have had little time to prepare for the game.

"If there is a trip that I would have avoided in midweek it is this in Catania, but we have every chance to make a good match.

"Catania is a place I know and I go back willingly.

"The calendar has given me Catania stuck between Palermo and Torino - three games against former clubs in a week.

"Catania have important players. [Alejandro] Gomez is a very imaginative player, with [Pablo] Barrientos and [Francesco] Lodi, who are very dangerous. We'll have to be careful on high balls as well."

The match may not mean as much to Catania boss Rolando Maran but he is hoping for a return to winning ways after a defeat to Fiorentina and a home draw with Napoli.

"Having finished on a high against Napoli, it must then make us feel strong again from a physical point of view," he said.

"We have to play with the same conviction, the same anger, the same enthusiasm that we did on Sunday."