Udinese coach Francesco Guidolin has insisted that his side are not in pole position to qualify for Europe despite an impressive recent run of form.
Guidolin's men have won six successive matches in Serie A and sit fifth in the final Europa League spot with just two games left to play.
Despite his side's superb winning streak, Guidolin has moved to calm expectations following a hard-fought 3-2 victory at Palermo on Wednesday.
He told reporters: "To adopt a cycling metaphor, this feels like a sprint where we still can't see the finish line.
"The suffering of the start of the season is now behind us, so we can focus on our objectives and the future. Motivation can make the difference in terms of achieving our dreams. I don't think Udinese are the favourites for a Europa League spot, as we are fighting it out with the others.
"We've got great respect for Atalanta, who without the points penalty perhaps would've been in the race for Europe too. Don't forget we went through a very tiring and stressful match on Wednesday, so cannot afford to be lacklustre against Atalanta."
The Friulani will stay fifth until the final round of Serie A action with a positive result against Atalanta this afternoon.
Liam Power
