Atalanta will put their remarkable resurgence to the ultimate test this Sunday when they welcome Serie A leaders Inter Milan to the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo. The match is a crucial juncture for a team that has been transformed under new coach Raffaele Palladino.
Palladino's Instant Impact at Atalanta
Since taking over from Ivan Juric last month, Raffaele Palladino has engineered a stunning turnaround for La Dea. The team has rediscovered its form, a fact underscored by impressive performances against European heavyweights like Eintracht Frankfurt and Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League.
Atalanta currently sit fifth in the Champions League standings, level on points with financial giants Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City. This continental success is now translating to domestic improvement. A dramatic, last-minute victory away to Genoa last weekend propelled Atalanta back into the top half of the Serie A table. They are now just three points adrift of the European qualification positions.
"It wasn't one of our better performances but today winning was what counted," Palladino remarked after the Genoa win. He emphasized the significance of the result, stating, "Those three points were hugely important for us to keep our run going and get us up the right end of the table."
A Defining Period and Key Absences
The showdown with Inter marks the beginning of a critical three-match sequence against direct rivals for European football. Following this, Atalanta face fourth-placed Roma and then Bologna, who occupy a Conference League spot. Under Palladino, Atalanta have won six of their eight matches across all competitions, a record that already suggests he is a more fitting successor to Gian Piero Gasperini than his predecessor.
However, Palladino must navigate this tough period without two key players due to the Africa Cup of Nations. Attacker Ademola Lookman is away with the Nigerian national team, while defender Odilon Kossounou is representing Ivory Coast. Their absence will be a significant test of the squad's depth.
"We keep scaling a mountain that a month ago seemed impossible," said an optimistic Palladino. "Let's enjoy the moment because we've got three big matches coming up and we can take them on in the right spirit."
Inter's Challenge: Fatigue and Injuries
Visitors Inter Milan arrive in Bergamo holding a slender one-point lead over local rivals AC Milan at the summit. However, Simone Inzaghi's side carries the burden of a congested schedule. A recent trip to Saudi Arabia for the Italian Super Cup—which they lost to Napoli—has added to their fixture load. This means Inter, along with Milan, Napoli, and Bologna, have a game in hand on teams like Roma and Juventus.
Compounding their challenges, Inter's treatment room is busy. Coach Simone Inzaghi has lost French midfielder Ange-Yoan Bonny to a knee injury sustained in training. He joins a list of absentees that includes Denzel Dumfries, Francesco Acerbi, and Hakan Calhanoglu.
Key Stat: Only four points separate league leaders Inter from fifth-placed Juventus, highlighting the tight nature of the Serie A title race.
Key Stat: Atalanta have already secured one more league victory under Palladino (three) than they managed in the tenure of Ivan Juric (two).
The weekend's other Serie A fixtures include AC Milan hosting Verona, champions Napoli facing a tricky trip to Cremonese, and an emotional Monday night encounter as Roma icon Daniele De Rossi returns to the Stadio Olimpico as manager of Genoa.
