Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini admits he'd prefer to meet Champions League opponents Inter Milan over two legs.

Their quarterfinal will be staged tonight in Lisbon.

Gasperini said, “We have to represent in the best way the region and the capacity to react, to start again. It's possible, as I've said many times, to give people a smile.

“We have shown that a team without particular European heritage can do well, with values like will, motivation, enthusiasm.

“I think people like this a lot. We have a big responsibility to not disappoint – not with the result but with these values.

“With our history, I'd have preferred [two legs]. We are facing a team we've never faced before and have no direct parameters in terms of meeting their players.

“Historically we've always done better in the second match – against Dinamo, against Shakhtar and against [Manchester] City."