Still vying for their first-ever Scudetto, serial overachievers Atalanta BC will host relegation-threatened Venezia on Saturday.
Bouncing back from a calamitous Champions League loss, La Dea hit Empoli for five last weekend, while their visitors slipped six points from Serie A safety despite avoiding defeat.
Match preview
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Days after making a dismal exit from Europe at the hands of Club Brugge, Atalanta tried to tighten their grip on a top-four spot - and perhaps stay in the title race - when they visited Stadio Castellani last week.
Bouncing back in some style, the Bergamo club overcame a self-inflicted coach-versus-player crisis to smash free-falling Empoli 5-0.
Selected by boss Gian Piero Gasperini despite their very public dispute, Ademola Lookman bagged a brace and took his tally to 12 Serie A goals this season - one shy of his best return in a single league campaign.
As well as being the Italian top flight's leading scorers, Atalanta have also kept a clean sheet in all of their last three league matches, and they could now post four in a row for the first time since 1997.
Victory on Saturday afternoon would take them into the top two before Scudetto rivals Inter Milan and Napoli meet later in the evening, so Gasperini has certainly not given up on being crowned champions.
To break new ground, their recent form on home turf must improve, as the Nerazzurri have drawn their last two Serie A fixtures at the Gewiss Stadium, before suffering a 3-1 loss to Brugge.
They will surely expect to halt that winless streak this weekend, having won eight of 10 top-flight home games against Venezia to date.
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Including October's reverse fixture - a 2-0 defeat at Stadio Penzo - Venezia have lost their last six Serie A meetings with La Dea, scoring just one goal in the process.
Finding the net has proved a problem for the Lagunari more recently, too, having failed to hit the target in any of their last three outings - and top scorer Joel Pohjanpalo left the club last month.
Eusebio Di Francesco's side held Lazio to a 0-0 draw in Venice last time out - a good result, in isolation - but they still sit 19th in the table and are now six points adrift of safety.
Still without a single win away from home this season, last term's Serie B playoff winners could be bound for a quick return to Italy's second tier if they fail to turn such form around.
Yet to taste success anywhere in 2025, Venezia's most recent victory dates back to December, so claiming three points in Bergamo would count as a major upset.
Team News
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In addition to long-term absentees Gianluca Scamacca, Odilon Kossounou and Giorgio Scalvini, Atalanta will be without injured centre-back Isak Hien again this week, due to an adductor injury.
Daniel Maldini is set to return, though, while long-serving defender Berat Djimsiti has taken part in full training despite injuring his ankle in Empoli.
Up front, Charles De Ketelaere and Ademola Lookman - the latter of whom has played a part in 11 home goals in Serie A this season - should support Capocannoniere leader Mateo Retegui, one of only four men with 25 or more goal involvements across Europe's top five leagues.
Venezia, meanwhile, are still missing first-choice goalkeeper Filip Stankovic, plus Richie Sagrado and Michael Svoboda.
The visitors' misfiring attack will be led by either Daniel Fila or Mirko Maric, both of whom were signed in the winter transfer window but have yet to make an impact.
Since making his first start for the Arancioneroverdi in January, Napoli-owned winger Alessio Zerbin has fared better, recording more touches in the opposition box (19) and making more chances (eight) than any of his new teammates.
Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Carnesecchi; Posch, Djimsiti, Kolasinac; Bellanova, De Roon, Ederson, Zappacosta; De Ketelaere, Lookman; Retegui
Venezia possible starting lineup:
Radu; Marcandalli, Idzes, Cande; Zerbin, Perez, Nicolussi Caviglia, Busio, Ellertsson; Oristanio; Fila
We say: Atalanta BC 3-0 Venezia
To be considered title contenders, Atalanta simply must win, as they next face Juventus and Inter during a six-game streak against top-half opposition.
With one of Europe's worst away records, Venezia are unlikely to put up much resistance, as their slump towards Serie B goes on.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
