Atalanta vs Hellas Verona – News and Probable Lineups

After a disheartening exit from Europe’s premier tournament, Atalanta BC will aim to regroup on Sunday when they host Hellas Verona in Bergamo.

Following a heavy defeat in the Champions League by Bayern Munich, Hellas finds themselves embroiled in a battle for survival in Serie A, sitting nine points below safety with nine fixtures left.

Match overview

With their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals all but extinguished after a 6-1 home loss last week, Atalanta faced a daunting trip to Munich on Wednesday night.

Despite a late goal from Berlin-born Serbian international Lazar Samardzic, Atalanta fell 4-1 on the night, concluding the tie with a total of 10-2 on aggregate.

Yet, there remains a great deal at stake as the season nears its conclusion; Atalanta currently sits seventh in Serie A, four points behind Roma, who occupy the final European spot at present.

In the matches surrounding their initial encounter with Bayern, Raffaele Palladino’s squad managed consecutive league draws, first against Udinese, then against Serie A title contenders Inter Milan.

Last week, they faced a setback as they conceded to Inter’s early goal at San Siro, but managed to secure one point thanks to a last-minute equalizer from Nikola Krstovic. However, they are now on a six-match winless streak across all competitions.

This stretch includes the first leg of a Coppa Italia semi-final against Lazio, which concluded in a 2-2 draw. Winning the cup would grant direct entry into the Europa League, a tournament they famously claimed two years prior.

Before focusing on any cup runs, Atalanta must address their league situation. Since Palladino’s appointment at the end of November, they have accumulated more points at home than any other team, so a victory over Verona is anticipated.

Having previously lost 6-1 and 5-0 in their last two meetings, Verona shocked Atalanta with a 3-1 victory at Stadio Bentegodi during their last fixture in December.

This win offered a rare glimmer of hope amid an otherwise bleak season, and Hellas urgently need to achieve a league double over Atalanta for the first time in 12 years.

In realistic terms, the Gialloblu appear to be heading toward Serie B: they are nine points off safety with as many games left, having slumped to last place after Pisa’s victory over Cagliari.

Interim head coach Paolo Sammarco has managed only four points from six matches so far, with a 2-0 defeat to fellow relegation battlers Genoa last week further compounding their woes.

Although they recently managed an upset against Bologna at Stadio Dall’Ara, that victory was just one of two away wins they’ve secured this season, while Verona also heads to Bergamo boasting the league’s poorest defensive record.

Team News

In the midst of their troubling news, Atalanta has recently seen the return of forward duo Giacomo Raspadori and Charles De Ketelaere from injury, with eight of De Ketelaere’s last ten Serie A goals coming in home fixtures.

Additionally, USA midfielder Yunus Musah is available again following a UEFA suspension, providing Palladino with an entire squad to select from.

The top scorers Krstovic and Gianluca Scamacca will vie for a starting position in the attack, with the Italian forward having netted Atalanta’s sole goal in their prior contest.

As for Verona, key player Gift Orban has gone five matches without a goal, facing competition from Amin Sarr and Kieron Bowie to spearhead the visitors’ attack.

Sammarco’s squad still has several notable absences: Suat Serdar, Tobias Slotsager, and Armel Bella-Kotchap are all sidelined with injuries, while Sandi Lovric and Domagoj Bradaric are doubtful.

French midfielder Antoine Bernede appears to be nearing full fitness and could be in line for a place on the bench.

Atalanta BC probable starting XI:

Carnesecchi; Scalvini, Djimsiti, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, De Roon, Ederson, Bernasconi; De Ketelaere, Zalewski; Krstovic

Hellas Verona probable starting XI:

Montipo; Edmundsson, Nelson, Valentini; Belghali, Harroui, Gagliardini, Akpa-Akpro, Frese; Bowie, Orban

Atalanta is poised to end a troubling slide this Sunday, as their leading attackers are now back in action and Verona consistently presents opportunities for opponents.

After being overwhelmed by Bayern, La Dea will find themselves in a more favorable position against relegation-threatened visitors sitting at the bottom of Serie A.