Atalanta tackle AC Milan on Friday evening with Serie A’s prime spot of their sights and a rising perception that this might be their yr for unprecedented Scudetto glory.
A degree behind present leaders Napoli, Atalanta are gunning for a membership record-equalling ninth straight win in Italy’s prime flight and are, for the primary time of their historical past, real title challengers.
Atalanta have by no means completed increased than third in Serie A, which they did three seasons in a row between 2019 and 2021 with an exciting group that includes an all-action assault of Josip Ilicic, Duvan Zapata and Papu Gomez.
Nevertheless the present line-up, nonetheless on a excessive from final yr’s historic Europa League triumph and the division’s prime scorers with 36 objectives, appears able to going even additional in Gian Piero Gasperini’s ninth season as coach.
Atalanta have received 11 of 12 matches in all competitions — drawing the opposite — for the reason that begin of October and after Monday evening’s 2-0 success at Roma, Claudio Ranieri mentioned they have been “prepared, actually prepared” to battle for the league crown.
“Profitable the Europa League actually helped those that took half in it develop as gamers, and a whole lot of new faces have arrived who’re additionally growing. That is the explanation for these outcomes,” mentioned Gasperini after his group hit Younger Boys for six final month.
A win over Milan would put Atalanta prime at the least for 2 days as Napoli host Lazio on Sunday evening, and equal a Serie A wins document established in 2020 when Bergamo was the European epicentre of the Covid-19 pandemic.
That yr Atalanta shocked Europe by reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League, the place two late objectives denied them a win over mega-rich Paris Saint-Germain and a spot within the final 4.
Since then, Atalanta have saved constructing on and off the pitch, with the newest iteration of “Gaspball” being performed out within the now totally refurbished Gewiss Stadium, one of many few grounds in Serie A owned by the membership and never a public physique.
Atalanta, a historically small, provincial membership with fanatical assist, host Actual Madrid on Tuesday and have come thus far underneath Gasperini and the steerage of the native Percassi household that few could be stunned by a win.
First up, nevertheless, are Milan, who’re 10 factors behind Napoli with a recreation in hand however have received their final three matches in opposition to the modest opposition of Slovan Bratislava, Empoli and Sassuolo, netting 12 instances within the course of.
Champions Inter Milan kick off the weekend’s motion on Friday in opposition to Parma on the San Siro, Simone Inzaghi’s facet set to play for the primary time since final weekend’s match at Fiorentina was referred to as off following Edoardo Bove’s harrowing collapse.
Each Inter and Fiorentina, who host Cagliari on Sunday, are three factors behind Atalanta with a recreation in hand following a traumatic night which reminded followers of former captain Davide Astori’s sudden dying in 2018.
The Viola await an official diagnoses of what brought about midfielder Bove, who remains to be in intensive care at Florence’s Careggi hospital, to lose consciousness.
Participant to observe: Tijjani Reijnders
If Milan are to get something from Bergamo, Tijjani Reijnders shall be key because the Netherlands midfielder is in sizzling kind and the one fixed performer in Paulo Fonseca’s in any other case inconsistent facet.
Reijnders smashed in his seventh purpose of the season on Tuesday evening as a largely second-string Milan outfit hammered Serie B leaders Sassuolo 6-1 within the Italian Cup, his third in two video games after additionally netting a brace in opposition to Empoli final weekend.
The 26-year-old has declare to be Serie A’s greatest midfielder proper now and shall be up in opposition to it with Ederson and Marten de Roon making Atalanta followers overlook Teun Koopmeiners’ big-money transfer to Juventus.
Fixtures (instances GMT)
Friday
Inter Milan v Parma (1730), Atalanta v AC Milan (1945)
Saturday
Genoa v Torino (1400), Juventus v Bologna (1700), Roma v Lecce (1945)
Sunday
Fiorentina v Cagliari (1130), Verona v Empoli (1400), Venezia v Como (1700), Napoli v Lazio (1945)
Monday
Monza v Udinese (1945)
td/nf
