Underdogs thinking big in Serie A

Udinese just one point behind table leaders Napoli; Atalanta third on goal difference

MILAN:

Udinese are on the hunt for their seventh straight win as they await the visit of fellow surprise package Atalanta on Sunday, a clash between two of Serie A's model clubs.

A traditionally tiny team used to punching above their weight, Udinese are just one point behind league leaders Napoli from whom Atalanta are separated by goal difference.

The 19 points racked up by Andrea Sottil's team is the most Udinese have ever accumulated from their first eight games of a Serie A season and their aggressive, attacking performances have made the rest of the league sit up and take notice.

Having already thumped both Inter Milan and Roma on home turf, on Monday they fought back from a goal down at Verona to claim a 2-1 win in stoppage time in a performance that was more like one of Gian Piero Gasperini's vintage Atalanta sides than the stodgy Udinese of recent seasons.

In Gerard Deulofeu, Udinese have one of the league's brightest creative forces and their total of 17 goals is only one less than Napoli, who travel to Cremonese on a high after smashing Ajax 6-1 in Amsterdam.

Owned by the Pozzo family for over three decades, Udinese have been a Serie A fixture since the mid-1990s and are one of the few clubs in Italy to own their stadium, the old city-owned Stadio Fruili having been bought in 2013 and then refurbished into the sort of modern facility other clubs dream of having.

"The secret of our success is the Pozzo family," said Udinese's sporting director Pierpaolo Marino after the Verona win.

"Thinking big helps you to win. We shouldn't be patting ourselves on the back but realise that we're good."

Atalanta are another club who, by budget, should not be anywhere near Italy's big guns but last season's eighth-placed finish now looks a blip rather than the end of an era.

Throughout Gasperini's reign in Bergamo, Atalanta have bewitched fans with their gung-ho football but this year are a much more sober proposition.

Just three goals conceded in their eight matches is even more impressive given the recent raft of injuries that have affected Gasperini's team selection, with Italy defender Rafael Toloi the latest to be ruled out with a thigh injury.