Two teams battling for a precious top-four finish will meet in Bergamo on Monday, as Atalanta BC play host to Serie A's form side Roma.
While the hosts sit third and are masters of their own destiny, their Roman rivals have surged through the pack and are not giving up on Champions League qualification.
Match preview
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Still in some danger of letting a top-four place slip from their grasp, right at the very end of an arduous campaign, Atalanta comfortably claimed maximum points from last week's clash with rock-bottom Monza.
The Bergamaschi are now firm favourites to finish third behind title rivals Napoli and Inter Milan in a tight Champions League race, after a 4-0 win that saw Charles De Ketelaere finally end his long goal drought.
Expected to leave Bergamo in the next transfer window, Ademola Lookman was also on target as La Dea opened up a five-point gap to Juventus with just three games to go.
Though a dry spell in April cost them a shot at the Scudetto, Atalanta have scored 99 goals across all competitions so far, and they could reach triple figures for only the fifth time in their history - each previous instance has been within the past six years.
Europa League winners last season, it has been a golden era under Gian Piero Gasperini, but - like Lookman and others - the veteran coach has hinted he may depart, perhaps prompting a summer of change.
Before any comings and goings, the Nerazzurri must host Roma and Parma either side of a trip to Genoa, as they aim to finish with a flourish in front of their own fans.
Atalanta have sometimes struggled to deliver on home turf - failing to beat both Cagliari and Venezia of late - and they have claimed just eight points from nine league games in Bergamo this year.
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So, Roma may fancy their chances of an increasingly rare win over La Dea: beaten 2-0 in December's reverse fixture, they have also lost four of their last five away games against Monday's hosts.
While Atalanta have waned in 2025, the Giallorossi have soared, going unbeaten for 16 games through the second half of the season and pushing their way into the race for a cherished top-four finish.
Their 12th and most recent win in that run came at home to Fiorentina, with top scorer Artem Dovbyk finding the net before Mile Svilar made a number of fine saves to deny the Viola.
Integral to Roma's revival, Svilar boasts a save rate of 77.5% and has recorded 15 clean sheets in Serie A this season; the last Giallorossi goalkeeper to post more shutouts in one campaign was none other than Alisson Becker, who racked up 17 seven years ago.
Aided by his calm presence between the posts, the capital club have won the most games by a 1-0 scoreline across Europe's top five leagues - and eight of those nine have come under interim coach Claudio Ranieri.
His team have picked up the most points since the turn of the year (43), also conceding the fewest goals (eight) and keeping 10 clean sheets.
Having steadied the ship and then sailed it straight up the standings, Ranieri's third and final spell at his boyhood club is set to end later this month, and he would love to sign off by sending Roma back into Europe.
Team News
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The subject of much transfer market speculation, Lookman is doubtful for what could be his penultimate home game as an Atalanta player, due to an inflamed Achilles tendon.
Austrian defender Stefan Posch (thigh) is also facing a race against time, while Gianluca Scamacca, Juan Cuadrado, Sead Kolasinac and Giorgio Scalvini will not return until next season; Isak Hien must serve a suspension, so skipper Marten de Roon may deputise in defence.
With or without Lookman's support, Mateo Retegui should start up front. On course to be crowned Capocannoniere, the Italy striker has scored 24 Serie A goals this term and needs just one more to break Pippo Inzaghi's 1996-97 club record.
Meanwhile, Eldor Shomurodov and Artem Dovbyk have often been paired in Roma's attack since star man Paulo Dybala was ruled out for the rest of the season.
Captain Lorenzo Pellegrini has now joined Dybala on the sidelines, with a muscular injury set to finish his stop-start campaign prematurely.
Therefore, either Nicolo Pisilli or Tommaso Baldanzi could be promoted to Claudio Ranieri's starting XI - or Matias Soule would shift inside, allowing Alexis Saelemaekers to return on the right flank.
Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Carnesecchi; Kossounou, Djimsiti, De Roon; Bellanova, Ederson, Pasalic, Zappacosta; De Ketelaere, Brescianini; Retegui
Roma possible starting lineup:
Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Ndicka; Soule, Cristante, Kone, Angelino; Pisilli; Shomurodov, Dovbyk
We say: Atalanta BC 0-0 Roma
While Atalanta have been below their best on home soil for several months, Roma are hard to beat and can at least grind out a goalless draw.
A point will suit La Dea more than their counterparts from the capital, as that should essentially sew up third place.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
