Still unbeaten at home this season, Atalanta BC welcome Genoa to the Gewiss Stadium on Sunday, aiming to recover from another away loss just before the break.
While the Nerazzurri remain without defeat in Bergamo - both in Serie A and the Europa League - they were beaten by Lazio last time out; meanwhile, the Grifone were edged out in a controversial clash with Milan.
Match preview
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Following a run of four wins from five in all competitions, high-flying Atalanta were brought back down to earth in their final fixture before international football intervened, as they trailed by two goals after less than 15 minutes against Lazio before fighting back and then conceding late on to lose 3-2.
Goals from Ederson and Sead Kolasinac hauled La Dea back into contention at Stadio Olimpico, but Gian Piero Gasperini watched on in despair as his side failed to hold out for a point.
Atalanta had picked up seven from their previous three league matches, played between beating both Rakow Czestochowa and Sporting CP in the Europa League, so Gasperini will hope their setback in the Italian capital proves to be just an aberration.
Back at home, the Nerazzurri have been tough to beat this term, having kept a clean sheet in each of their last three Serie A matches at the Gewiss Stadium, and they now seek a run of four successive shutouts for the first time since 2017.
With Rasmus Hojlund and Duvan Zapata departed, and summer signings Gianluca Scamacca and El Bilal Toure cursed by injury, Atalanta have had to rely on a wide range of contributors at the other end. The Bergamo side have recorded 11 different goalscorers in 2023-24; among teams in Europe's top five leagues, only Barcelona, Fiorentina, and Leipzig have had more.
Scamacca has recently returned to the fold and will now seek to slay his former club Genoa: as La Dea last lost to the Ligurians in Serie A more than seven years ago, maximum points will be the target this weekend.
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Since that rare win in January 2016, when Gasperini was still in charge of Genoa, Sunday's hosts have won just one of 13 subsequent Serie A meetings with Atalanta, suffering eight defeats.
Nonetheless, the Grifone are enjoying life under current coach Alberto Gilardino, who was managed by 'Gasp' during his playing days at Stadio Luigi Ferraris, scoring 14 goals in 30 league appearances during a productive 2013-14 campaign.
Since leading his squad to promotion from Serie B last term, Gilardino has helped them register two wins and two draws during their first eight games back in the big time, but one of four defeats came at home to Milan last time out.
After the visitors finally broke through on 87 minutes, both goalkeepers were sent off in a crazed stoppage-time period, and Genoa found themselves denied an equaliser by the Rossoneri's stand-in stopper Olivier Giroud. With no replacements remaining, the French forward donned Mike Maignan's jersey, but the hosts were unable to capitalise and ultimately had to accept defeat in bizarre circumstances.
Genoa have now conceded half of their league goals since promotion during the final 15 minutes of play, which will be a concern for Gilardino, who had previously led his team to wins over both Rome clubs and a draw with Napoli before succumbing to another of Serie A's big beasts.
Team News
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Following his goal in Italy's recent 3-1 loss to England, Gianluca Scamacca is set to start up front for Atalanta on Sunday evening, with support most likely coming from Charles De Ketelaere and Ademola Lookman; fellow forward El Bilal Toure is still sidelined.
Scamacca scored eight times in 26 appearances for Genoa in 2020-21 and then bagged a brace against them for Sassuolo in October 2021 before an unsuccessful stay at West Ham United.
In addition to Toure, Netherlands international Teun Koopmeiners will be missing with a thigh injury that could keep him out until next month.
Another Dutch midfielder, Genoa's Kevin Strootman, could be unavailable for the away side due to a flexor problem, while star striker Mateo Retegui missed out on Luciano Spalletti's Italy squad with a knee issue that may force him out of the trip to Bergamo.
Certainly missing will be injured winger Junior Messias and goalkeeper Josep Martinez; the latter was sent off against Milan, so Nicola Leali should deputise as the Grifone's last line of defence.
Meanwhile, in-form forward Albert Gudmundsson should receive support from sharp-shooting midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi, who recorded 30 goals and 25 assists in 143 appearances for Atalanta during a three-and-a-half-year stay at the club.
Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Musso; Toloi, Scalvini, Djimsiti; Zappacosta, De Roon, Ederson, Ruggeri; De Ketelaere, Lookman; Scamacca
Genoa possible starting lineup:
Leali; Dragusin, Bani, Vasquez; Sabelli, Thorsby, Frendrup, Malinovskyi, Haps; Gudmundsson, Ekuban
We say: Atalanta BC 1-0 Genoa
Boosting morale before a trip to Austria in midweek, Atalanta can get back into action with another home win. Having occasionally struggled to produce their best in Bergamo over the past year, they are much-improved at the Gewiss Stadium this term and should be able to see off hit-and-miss Genoa.
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