Preview: Inter vs. Atalanta
Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta have often existed on the peripheries of the Scudetto talk but on Friday, they will have a chance to show if they can challenge for the title when they take on Inter.
By Kaustubh Pandey
La Dea had started their Serie A campaign in sublime fashion. Despite not having Teun Koopmeiners, Gianluca Scamacca, Nicolo Zaniolo, Sead Kolašinac and Ademola Lookman around for the game against Lecce, they picked up a 4-0 win.
That came amidst talk of a crisis in Bergamo but the new signings – Matteo Retegui and Marco Brescianini fired on their debuts.
The game against Torino saw them pick up a defeat against a new-look Paolo Vanoli Il Toro side, but the performance was still decent.
On another day, they would have won the game. They created many more chances than Torino and Mario Pašalić also missed a key penalty in stoppage time.
It was a reminder that despite the defeat and despite prominent players missing, they are still very much a force.
Koopmeiners has now left for Juventus, but Lazar Samardžić made his debut at the weekend and Zaniolo also came off the bench. La Dea have made a raft of new signings to improve their squad too, with Raoul Bellanova, Juan Cuadrado, Odilon Kossounou and Rui Patrício all arriving.
All of this suggests that there is reason for Inter to be fairly cautious of their opponents on Friday.
Simone Inzaghi’s side got back to winning ways against Lecce after being held to a 2-2 draw by Genoa in the first game.
In the 2-0 win last weekend, Inter weren’t exactly at their best but managed to get vital three points. It almost seems as if multiple Nerazzurri players are dealing with a post-EURO 2024 hangover.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every game from Serie A with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.