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• Gasperini: Confidence is keeping Atalanta's run going

  Atalanta head coach Gian Piero Gasperini thinks that his side's recent run of form is due to the squad's confidence and continued development, following their 6-1 victory away to Young Boys on Tuesday.

  The Italian side maintained their unbeaten record in the competition to go fourth in the standings following a demolition job in Bern, with two-goal Charles De Ketelaere the pick of the bunch.

  The result was Atalanta's largest-ever margin of victory in a European match, while it extended their winning run to seven matches in all competitions.

  That run has seen them climb to second in the Serie A table, a point behind leaders Napoli, while they have the best xG in the division and are top scorers with 34 goals in 13 matches.

  "We are in a good period of form in Italy and Europe, I’m happy with the performances and results we are getting,” Gasperini told Sky Sports.

  "Winning the Europa League last season helped us to grow in confidence, self-belief and then many new players arrived too who are improving. This is what’s behind the impressive form."

  Gasperini also acknowledged that the development of some of the talent at the club has been remarkable.

  "There are some players who have been here so long and know us so well that they are coaches on the field, I could easily just leave them to it," he said.

  "But there are others who need to get to know the movements, the chain reactions, the timing. On top of that, we have always had a very strong locker room atmosphere where the behaviour and attitude is always based on values."

• Bellingham willing to adapt to new Madrid position

  Jude Bellingham feels he is most effective playing further forward but is prepared to accommodate his big-name Real Madrid team-mates by playing a withdrawn role.

  Bellingham was a key player as Madrid won LaLiga and the Champions League last season, scoring 23 goals and providing 13 assists while playing predominantly as a false nine.

  Following the exit of Karim Benzema, Madrid fielded Bellingham at the tip of a midfield diamond with Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior acting as split strikers.

  However, Bellingham has dropped deeper this season following the arrival of Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain, playing just 3% of his minutes as a striker or attacking midfielder, with 50% coming in central midfield and 35% off the left flank.

  In 2023-24, Bellingham played 69% of his minutes in the most advanced midfield role and 7% as a traditional striker.

  Speaking ahead of Wednesday's Champions League clash with Liverpool, Bellingham insisted he is happy to play any role if it contributes to positive results for Los Blancos.

  "It's been like any other adaptation," Bellingham told reporters on Tuesday.

  "It changes the dynamic, the style of play and the approach, but I've shown that I can play in different positions. I prefer a bit more up front, but it's not important to me.

   

  "I'm willing to play wherever they put me and I'm not affected by the position. We always set the team up to win. 

  "I joined last summer and the club lost Benzema, one of its best players. There was a gap and it was a way to compensate for this lack of goals. 

  "This year we have signed one of the best players of this generation, who has scored an unbelievable amount of goals. My role is going to change and I'm totally willing to do that."

  Bellingham's goal in Sunday's 3-0 win over Leganes in LaLiga was just his second in all competitions this season, though only Vinicius (six) has bettered his four assists for Madrid.

  After travelling to Anfield for their fifth Champions League group-phase game, Madrid host Getafe in LaLiga this weekend.

• Alonso full of praise for Wirtz after man-of-the-match performance against Salzburg

  Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso was particularly pleased with the performance of Florian Wirtz during his side's 5-0 victory over RB Salzburg.

  The Germany international scored two goals in the match and was named player of the match for the fourth time in five games in the Champions League this season.

  The result and performance came at an opportune time for Leverkusen, who were off the back of a 4-0 defeat to Liverpool and 1-1 draw at Brest.

  Following the win, they currently occupy fifth in the 36-team league, while Wirtz is equal-second in the top goalscorers with five goals.

  "We want to help Florian Wirtz, we know how different he is for us. We have to find him at the right moments. We need to have a good structure to help him. This competition is for him, he is a Champions League player," Alonso told reporters.

  "Hopefully we can go through to the next round. For Florian, he wants to have a big game. A big game is the best thing for him."

  Alonso is hoping that his side can use the performance on Tuesday to pick up in the Bundesliga, where they are fourth despite having won just one of their last four matches.

  Having won the domestic double last term though, he is aware there is still room for improvement in their performance.

  "We did very well against Salzburg today. We want to build on that against Union [Berlin] on Saturday and maintain the level we have set ourselves," said Alonso.

  "There are still ups and downs. We weren't great, but we weren't very bad. But I think there's still room for improvement. We can do better," he said.