Sarri: Atalanta remains positive despite unexpected defeat to Ajax

Atalanta lost 2-0 to Ajax in Amsterdam in the Conference League. La Dea created several good chances and were effective in possession, but they were beaten after two mistakes in the final minutes of the match.

For the first goal, young player Relja Obric lost his battle with Tolu Arokodare over a long pass. Then Abdella Ouazane, from a tight angle, shot the ball under the crossbar and into the net, making it 2-0.

Atalanta head coach Maurizio Sarri said in a statement to Sky Sport Italia that the mistake had come at a heavy cost, but that they could not blame the players too much. Sarri said that when the final five minutes began, defeat had not crossed his mind and the situation looked positive for them. Apologising to the fans, Sarri said it was natural to feel a little angry, though not sad, as he left the match.

For young Obric, it was only his second senior appearance. He had also made a costly error in the Serie A match last weekend, a 3-2 defeat to Milan. For the player, who was forced to play because of an injury crisis in defence, this was a tough start.

Sarri admitted that Atalanta failed to get a shot off in some situations even when they had a numerical advantage of three players to two. He also stressed that they must not leave Obric isolated against a taller and stronger opponent.