Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini was left satisfied after their 1-0 win against Europa League opponents Sturm Graz.

However, he insists expectations around his team are unrealistic.

He said, “The first half was pretty tough, especially early on when they were pressing hard and we made a few too many misplaced passes. We were also too slow with the tempo.

“I think the second half was a very different game and we did enough to deserve the victory.

“We still have a game against Sporting, who were the team tipped to top the group when the draw was made. We want to take top spot and will use the best players to achieve that."

Gasperini was also asked about his team's overall form.

“Many continue to ask me this question. I don't know what people expect of Atalanta, are we supposed to challenge for the Scudetto? We lost to Inter, but considering the way we played, that was not bad at all. I do not feel that we are in that position of being Scudetto contenders, we are in a very tough league.

“I do not look at the table, I try to focus on the way we play and I feel we are making excellent progress in Serie A and the Europa League."