Preview: Atalanta BC vs. Bologna - prediction, team news, lineups

Two opening-day winners go in search of another three points on Saturday evening, as Atalanta BC welcome Bologna to the Gewiss Stadium.

While last week the Bergamaschi's stoppage-time strike salvaged a win which nearly slipped through their fingers, their Rossoblu counterparts twice came from behind to seal success against Salernitana.

Match preview

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In the absence of his fellow Colombian forward Duvan Zapata - currently injured and linked with a move away from the club - Atalanta's 2020-21 top scorer Luis Muriel picked up where he left off last term on the opening day, as he thundered in a spectacular strike against Torino during his side's 2-1 victory.

It was, though, his younger colleague Roberto Piccoli who secured maximum points for La Dea in the end; as the 20-year-old former Spezia loanee made his mark with a last-gasp winner, following Andrea Belotti's deflected equaliser for the Granata.

With their enviable attacking department already up and running, Calcio's great entertainers - who ultimately finished third last season and lost out in the Coppa Italia final to Juventus - will seek to continue their winning start this weekend.

Though they have lost key men in goal and at the back - with Zapata's future also yet to be decided - Atalanta are masters of the market and brought in promising centre-back duo Matteo Lovato and Merih Demiral over the summer, to join former Udinese goalkepper Juan Musso in their new-look rearguard. All three featured in Turin - the former as a second-half substitute - and will expect to be given the nod again, with the Nerazzurri ready to build on their late victory against opponents they have recently dominated.

Gian Piero Gasperini's men have won nine of their last 11 Serie A matches versus Bologna - scoring 24 goals in the process - and have come out on top in each of their last seven home games against them too. In fact, Atalanta can equal a club record with a win on Saturday, as the Bergamo club have only once before recorded eight straight home wins against an opponent in their top-flight history.

Having welcomed back primavera product Davide Zappacosta earlier this week, the former Chelsea man will add to Gasperini's impressive collection of attacking wing-backs ahead of a game the Nerazzurri will be favourites to win - particularly given their visitors' recent defensive displays.

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Midway through the second half of their opening day win last weekend, Bologna conceded a seventh goal in two competitive outings this term, but still managed to emerge from the chaos of a manic 90 minutes against promoted Salernitana with the points.

Summer signing Marko Arnautovic grabbed the second equaliser at Dall'Ara - having also scored in a dramatic 5-4 Coppa Italia defeat a week previously - as the Rossoblu fought back twice from behind despite ultimately being reduced to nine men versus their 10-man visitors.

Now approaching their 2500th Serie A fixture - just the ninth team to reach such a milestone in the Italian top flight - Bologna have not won both of their opening two matches since the 1996-97 season, and will be unlikely to end that run this time if they cannot find greater defensive resilience.

After successive 12th-place finishes since the reappointment of Sinisa Mihajlovic, the Emilian outfit have rarely looked in trouble of demotion, but also come up short of featuring among sides contesting the European places.

Adding some flair to a workmanlike squad, in the shape of Arnautovic, it may be that Bologna have their sights trained higher this term, and his opening-day goal - which arrived 11 years and 228 days after his Serie A debut for Inter - at least bodes well for their hopes in the attacking third.

As Mihajlovic oversaw only one win in the last 10 games of the 2020-21 campaign - then that cup exit to Ternana - last Sunday's success will have come as a sweet relief, but meeting Atalanta and Inter in two of their next three games will surely put through a far sterner test.

Team News

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Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will be without first-choice centre-forward Duvan Zapata again, after recently suffering a sprained knee, while wing-back Hans Hateboer - plagued by injury throughout the second half of last season - has undergone surgery on his left foot.

However, the suspended trio of Marten de Roon, Remo Freuler and Rafael Toloi which sat out Atalanta's opening game, could all return to the starting XI this week.

Summer signing Merih Demiral started in a back three in Turin and is expected to continue, even if Toloi returns, while Joakim Maehle continues to fill in for Hateboer on the right flank - though Davide Zappacosta has now been added to Gasperini's options out wide and could also feature at some stage.

Following last week's lack of discipline, Bologna will be forced into making changes, as both Roberto Soriano and Jerdy Schouten are sidelined through suspension on Saturday.

While Mattias Svanberg is favourite to replace the latter in central midfield, Soriano's place could go to any one of Emanuel Vignato, Nicola Sansone or even Andreas Skov Olsen

Last time out, summer acquisitions Marko Arnautovic and Kevin Bonifazi started up front and in central defence respectively and will do so again in Bergamo.

Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Musso; Toloi, Demiral, Djimsiti; Maehle, De Roon, Freuler, Gosens; Ilicic, Pessina; Muriel

Bologna possible starting lineup:
Skorupski; De Silvestri, Medel, Bonifazi, Hickey; Svanberg, Dominguez; Orsolini, Vignato, Barrow; Arnautovic

We say: Atalanta BC 3-1 Bologna

As Atalanta are generally good value for at least a couple of goals per game - and both teams can be susceptible to being hit on the counter - it promises to be an entertaining 90 minutes on Saturday.

The home side look to have continued their goalscoring feats where they left off last season, so will make the most of Bologna's deficiencies at the back to seal back-to-back wins before the international break.