After both enjoyed successful starts to the new Serie A season, Atalanta BC and Lombardy rivals AC Milan clash at the Gewiss Stadium on Sunday evening.
While La Dea took maximum points against Sampdoria on the opening day, the champions extended a long winning run by beating Udinese 4-2 at San Siro.
Match preview
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Having posted six straight victories at the end of last season, to keep arch-rivals Inter at arms length and lift their first Scudetto for 11 years, Milan made it seven in a row on Serie A's opening day.
The Rossoneri kicked off their title defence by scoring from the spot, through the trusty left boot of Theo Hernandez, before pulling away from Udinese in the second half, after they had been hauled back to 2-2 just before the break.
Now on their longest success streak since 2006, when under the management of Carlo Ancelotti (whose side posted nine league wins on the spin) Milan are primed for a Lombardy derby this weekend.
Following a tough time in tussles with their near neighbours for several years previously, Bergamo has become a fruitful destination for the visitors, who have secured three wins from their last four trips there in Serie A. Not only that, but they have also suffered only one league defeat at the Gewiss Stadium since 2016 - though that was a 5-0 thumping in December 2019.
Stefano Pioli's side now make the short trip from the second city having added four goals on the opening weekend to 17 scored across five pre-season fixtures, so the chances of continuing their manager's trend of bright starts are strong.
With Pioli on the bench, Milan have always won their first two games of the Serie A season, and at the beginning of his third full year in charge, they will be aiming to replicate an excellent away record from last term, which saw them win 14 of 19 games on the road.
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Atalanta, meanwhile, endured a grim time on home soil last season, as they slumped to eighth place in the final standings - far below their recent high standards as top-four regulars and challengers in Europe.
As they seek to mount a comeback campaign, home form will be crucial, but the Nerazzurri have lost each of their last three league games against Milan, having been unbeaten in 10 of the previous 11.
Indeed, precedent suggests that Gian Piero Gasperini's men will be up against it to seize victory from their Rossonero rivals, as Atalanta have won both of their first two Serie A matches only four times before in their history.
The chance to repeat that feat for a fifth time exists as they managed to turn over Sampdoria in last week's opening round, with captain Rafael Toloi opening the scoring and debutant Ademola Lookman finally settling nerves with a second goal in stoppage time.
Nonetheless, with a meagre tally of just four league wins in front of their frustrated fans throughout 2021-22, the pressure will be on Gasperini to get a better tune out of his talented squad, whose confidence has grown brittle over recent months.
As a result of their decline, last season's Europa League quarter-finalists do not have a continental campaign to distract them this year, and benefiting from a lighter schedule means domestic improvement is a must.
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Team News
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After scoring twice at San Siro last week, Ante Rebic is favourite to start up front for Milan at the Gewiss Stadium, with Olivier Giroud and Divock Origi therefore consigned to the bench once again; Zlatan Ibrahimovic is out of action until next year.
Belgian duo Alexis Saelemaekers and summer signing Charles De Ketelaere are both pushing to start in Bergamo, but they have a fight on their hands to displace Junior Messias on the right wing.
In fact, the visitors' only change could be the welcome return of midfield mainstay Sandro Tonali, who played a major role in their title triumph. The Italy international missed out against Udinese due to a muscular injury, but has since been back in full training and should come in for the injured Rade Krunic.
After losing vice-captain Remo Freuler to Nottingham Forest last week, following the departures of Matteo Pessina and Aleksei Miranchuk, Atalanta have moved to strengthen their squad by signing French wing-back Brandon Soppy from Udinese.
The 20-year-old came through the ranks at Rennes, with whom he made his Ligue 1 debut as a teenager, and was a regular on the right flank for his former club last term: he now competes with Hans Hateboer for a wide role in Gian Piero Gasperini's preferred 3-4-1-2 formation.
Gasperini could still be without Davide Zappacosta on Sunday, while Ederson remains sidelined by a thigh strain and centre-back Jose Luis Palomino is banned until his hearing later this year after failing a doping test.
Up front, Duvan Zapata should start again despite scoring just once in his last 13 Serie A games - the Colombian striker's joint-worst run since joining the club.
Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Musso; Toloi, Okoli, Djimsiti; Hateboer, Koopmeiners, De Roon, Maehle; Pasalic; Muriel, Zapata
AC Milan possible starting lineup:
Maignan; Calabria, Kalulu, Tomori, Hernandez; Bennacer, Tonali; Messias, Diaz, Leao; Rebic
We say: Atalanta BC 1-2 AC Milan
Always an intriguing match-up, these two sides have clearly defined modes of play and a strongly-held identity. Though pragmatic, Milan's is generally more effective, and they can prolong their winning run by outscoring opponents who can barely buy a win on home turf.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Jonathan O'Shea
