Cagliari vs Atalanta – News and Probable Lineups

After a stunning cup elimination last time, Atalanta BC is looking to bounce back with a Serie A victory in Cagliari, as they aim to continue their pursuit of European qualification on Monday.

Following a heartbreaking failure to reach the Coppa Italia final, La Dea is set to face a team that is still battling for survival in the top flight.

Match overview

After a stalemate in the first leg at Stadio Olimpico, Atalanta and Lazio wrapped up their Coppa Italia semi-final on Wednesday night during a rematch in Bergamo.

Knowing that the winner of the second leg would advance to meet Inter de Milão in the final next month, Raffaele Palladino’s team found themselves heading toward a 3-2 aggregate loss after the visitors scored first in the 84th minute.

Cup specialist Marco Pasalic once again delivered, finding the net late to equalize and send the match into extra time; however, several players failed to convert during the penalty shootout, resulting in a 2-1 loss for the hosts.

For supporters of the Bergamaschi, it has been a challenging week, as their last opportunity to secure a spot in next season’s Champions League likely slipped away in Serie A.

Falling nine points behind the top four in Italy, they had to settle for a 1-1 draw against fellow competitors Roma, with Marco Carnesecchi making several key saves to earn a point.

Nonetheless, this maintained an impressive away record, as Atalanta has lost only one of their past nine league matches on the road—a feat shared only with both Inter and Como.

Given they have also triumphed in five of their last six trips to Sardinia, Palladino will expect his squad to regain their momentum in Cagliari.

Including the fixture from December, where Gianluca Scamacca scored twice to secure victory, Cagliari has suffered defeat in seven of the last ten league meetings with Atalanta.

Another loss could be detrimental, as the Sardinian club is facing severe pressure to avoid relegation.

As Fabio Pisacane concludes his first season as head coach, his team still possesses a safety buffer above the relegation zone, but their recent performances have brought them perilously close to the drop.

Following a streak of three straight wins—against Juventus, Fiorentina, and Hellas Verona—Cagliari has claimed just one victory in their last ten matches; notably, that lone success was against fellow survival contenders Cremonese.

Their latest defeat was anticipated, as Inter, on the brink of being crowned champions, secured a commanding 3-0 win last week, even though Pisacane’s squad held strong for the first 50 minutes at San Siro.

This left the Rossoblu five points clear of the bottom three with five matches still to play, meaning Serie A safety isn’t assured yet.

Team News

As the season winds down—and after playing for 120 minutes in their last match—Palladino may opt to make changes to his Atalanta lineup, possibly introducing Scamacca in place of top scorer Nikola Krstovic.

Pasalic, Giacomo Raspadori, and former Cagliari player Raoul Bellanova are among several pushing for starting spots in La Dea’s usual 3-4-2-1 setup.

On the injury front, Swedish defender Isak Hien could be cleared to make a return, but wing-back Lorenzo Bernasconi suffered a right knee sprain on Wednesday night and will miss the long trip south.

Meanwhile, Cagliari will be without long-term absentees Mattia Felici and Riyad Idrissi, as well as veteran striker Leonardo Pavoletti and midfielder Luca Mazzitelli.

Atalanta-owned winger Marco Palestra has been making a significant impact at the club, with several major teams monitoring the new Italian international—he will be positioned on the right flank for the Rossoblu.

Sebastiano Esposito is the hosts’ leading scorer with six league goals; either Gennaro Borrelli or Semih Kilicsoy is expected to join the Inter loanee up front.

Cagliari probable starting XI:

Caprile; Ze Pedro, Mina, Rodriguez; Palestra, Folorunsho, Gaetano, Adopo, Obert; Esposito, Borrelli

Atalanta BC probable starting XI:

Meatballs; Scalvini, Djimsiti, Ahanor; Bellanova, De Roon, Ederson, Zappacosta; Pasalic, Raspadori; Scam

Despite facing some setbacks in recent weeks, Atalanta still boasts a robust squad capable of overcoming a struggling Cagliari side.

Facing relegation threats, the Rossoblu’s primary aim is simply to navigate through this end of the season, but another defeat to La Dea will put them at risk.