Sacchi has acted as a mentor for both Real coach Carlo Ancelotti and Atalanta's Gian Piero Gasperini in the past.
“They are two coaches who, with different methods and styles, try to cause problems for their opponents. They do not focus only on defending, but on attacking and dominating matches,” Sacchi told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Over the years, Gasperini has done extraordinary things with an Atalanta side that have never been among the biggest clubs in our league. I admire his aggression, which inevitably also carries risks along with it.
“By playing in that style, he often leaves his players one-on-one. That means the coach has courage and passes that on to his team. If someone has courage, it means he knows how to overcome those difficulties.
“I always say Carletto is the encyclopaedia of football. This sport has no secrets for him and he can call upon that vast experience. Carlo manages to deal with many top level champions and always gets the best out of them. Have you seen how the Real Madrid strikers track back to help the defence? Who do you think convinced them to do that? He knows that you win with the collective and the individual must be at the disposal of the team.”
On Atalanta's chances, Sacchi insisted: “Why not? After all, at this stage of the season, nobody is in good shape. I still remember the extraordinary Atalanta performances against Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen.
“If they are in the right mood, they are capable of playing fantastic, exciting football. Gasperini’s Atalanta, unlike most Italian teams, run risks, attack and show no fear. Ancelotti is wise, a natural quality of the man that allowed him to win over the fans and the players. Where others impose their will, he gets those results with dialogue.”