Atalanta tackle AC Milan on Friday night time with Serie A’s high spot of their sights and a rising perception that this could possibly 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 high 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.
However the present line-up, nonetheless on a excessive from final yr’s historic Europa League triumph and the division’s high scorers with 36 targets, 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 night time’s 2-0 success at Roma, Claudio Ranieri stated they had been “prepared, actually prepared” to struggle for the league crown.
“Winning the Europa League actually helped those that took half in it develop as gamers, and plenty of new faces have arrived who’re additionally growing. That’s the explanation for these outcomes,” stated Gasperini after his group hit Young Boys for six final month.
A win over Milan would put Atalanta high not less than for 2 days as Napoli host Lazio on Sunday night time, 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 targets 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 Real Madrid on Tuesday and have come up to now beneath Gasperini and the steerage of the native Percassi household that few can be shocked by a win.
First up, nevertheless, are Milan, who’re 10 factors behind Napoli with a sport 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.
Both Inter and Fiorentina, who host Cagliari on Sunday, are three factors behind Atalanta with a sport in hand following a traumatic night which reminded followers of former captain Davide Astori’s sudden loss of life in 2018.
The Viola await an official diagnoses of what induced midfielder Bove, who continues to be in intensive care at Florence’s Careggi hospital, to lose consciousness.
Player to look at: 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 night time 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 finest 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)
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
