Aiming to reverse their recent downturn and keep in touch with the Serie A title race, Atalanta BC visit Hellas Verona on Saturday.
The Bergamo side head for Stadio Bentegodi on the back of a midweek cup exit - continuing their worst streak of the season - while Verona are still knee-deep in danger.
Match preview
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After a remarkable run of 11 league wins, Atalanta have won only one of their last six matches in the Italian top flight, perhaps terminally damaging any hopes of claiming a first-ever Scudetto.
Last week's 1-1 stalemate at home to mid-table Torino left them third in the standings, seven points adrift of league leaders Napoli, with reigning champions Inter Milan sandwiched between.
Another route to silverware was shut down on Tuesday night, as La Dea lost 1-0 to Bologna in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, marking a rare occasion that Gian Piero Gasperini's team have failed to find the net on home turf.
An end to their cup campaign - following January's Supercoppa semi-final loss - only leaves the Champions League and Serie A left to play for, and the odds are stacked against last year's Europa League victors winning either.
Nonetheless, given their long-held status as provincial outsiders, Atalanta continue to overachieve, having lost just one of their last 18 league matches.
The Nerazzurri have also won six of their last eight encounters with Verona, while averaging 2.3 goals per game, so history will be on their side this weekend.
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In addition to a 6-1 thrashing in this term's reverse fixture, Hellas have gained just one point from the clubs' last six league meetings at Stadio Bentegodi - losing all of the last four.
More recently, they have failed to even score in their last three home matches - losing to Lazio and AC Milan, and drawing 0-0 with Udinese - but a couple of good results on the road have kept them out of the Serie A drop zone.
Paolo Zanetti's side came out on top in a close-fought relegation scrap with rock-bottom Monza last week, just days after holding regional rivals Venezia to a 1-1 draw at Stadio Penzo.
As a result, the Scaligeri could now record a three-game streak without defeat for the first time since late 2023 - and they might even win successive Serie A matches for the first time since last March.
Getting off to a quick start could hold the key to success on Saturday: though they have the worst defensive record in Italy's top tier - conceding first on some 17 occasions this season - in all five games they have scored the opener, Verona have gone on to win.
Team News
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Gian Piero Gasperini was served a double blow earlier this week, when Italy internationals Giorgio Scalvini and Gianluca Scamacca - both of whom had recently returned from serious knee injuries - were ruled out for the rest of the season.
With a Champions League playoff against Club Brugge to follow their trip to the Bentegodi, Atalanta will also be missing Sead Kolasinac, Ademola Lookman, Odilon Kossounou and first-choice goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi, plus new boy Daniel Maldini.
Rui Patricio will continue to deputise between the posts, while recent recruit Stefan Posch could be handed his full debut in defence. Capocannoniere rankings leader Mateo Retegui starts up front.
Meanwhile, Verona's midfield has been weakened by the departure of Reda Belahyane to Lazio and a thigh injury sustained by Suat Serdar.
Furthermore, Ondrej Duda must serve a suspension, so Antoine Bernede, Cheikh Niasse and Grigoris Kastanos lead the queue to step in.
Paolo Zanetti must also make do without Martin Frese, Abdou Harroui, Dailon Livramento and top scorer Casper Tengstedt, the latter of whom has been sidelined by an ankle sprain.
Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:
Montipo; Daniliuc, Coppola, Ghilardi; Tchatchoua, Niasse, Bernede, Bradaric; Suslov; Sarr, Mosquera
Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Patricio; Posch, Hien, Djimsiti; Bellanova, Ederson, De Roon, Ruggeri; De Ketelaere, Samardzic; Retegui
We say: Hellas Verona 1-3 Atalanta BC
Atalanta have scored the most goals within the first 15 minutes this season (seven) while Verona have conceded the most (10), and another sharp start could see La Dea cruise to victory.
Overdue a convincing performance, the visitors can do the double over opponents they smashed six past in October.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
