Atalanta BC will aim for a fourth straight Serie A win on Wednesday, as they welcome local rivals Monza to Bergamo.
La Dea lashed six past Hellas Verona at the weekend, moving them further up the standings, while Monza bit back twice to secure a 2-2 home draw.
Match preview
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Continuing their rich vein of form in domestic football, Atalanta swept to a convincing victory over Verona last weekend, with captain Marten de Roon kicking off the scoring within six minutes, setting the stage for his goal-hungry colleagues up front.
Charles De Ketelaere struck once, while Mateo Retegui and Ballon d'Or nominee Ademola Lookman both bagged braces to make it three consecutive league wins for La Dea.
During that spell - only interrupted by a frustrating Champions League stalemate with Celtic - the Bergamaschi have racked up some 13 goals, with red-hot Retegui helping himself to half a dozen.
In all, Gian Piero Gasperini's men have scored the most goals in Italy's top flight this term (24, including 16 at home), leaving them within six points of league leaders Napoli.
A hectic schedule will soon take Atalanta to Naples and then Stuttgart, as last season's Europa League winners continue their quest for more silverware on several fronts.
First, though, they must play host to Serie A strugglers Monza, who have been beaten in all four of the clubs' previous top-flight meetings.
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In fact, Monza will make the short trip to Bergamo from nearby Brianza with an aggregate goal difference of minus nine (12-3) against Atalanta over the past two years.
Last week finally brought the Brianzoli's first league win of the 2024-25 campaign, with a 3-0 victory in Verona, and they can head for the Gewiss Stadium having picked up four points from a possible six over the past few days.
Twice they trailed against fellow strugglers Venezia on Sunday, but twice they fought back, as goals from Giorgos Kyriakopoulos and veteran striker Milan Djuric secured a draw despite Warren Bondo's second-half dismissal.
Now hovering just above the drop zone, Alessandro Nesta's side have put together a three-game unbeaten streak, soon after progressing to the last 16 of the Coppa Italia.
However, a tough run of fixtures awaits the Biancorossi between now and the next international break: after tackling Atalanta in midweek, Monza must host another Lombardy rival, AC Milan, and then Lazio.
Team News
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Perhaps with half an eye on Sunday's high-profile game against Napoli, Gian Piero Gasperini may make some changes to the side that thrashed Verona: Lazar Samardzic, Mario Pasalic and Nicolo Zaniolo head the queue for promotion to Atalanta's starting XI.
Mateo Retegui could be retained, though, having scored 10 goals in his first nine league games this season. So far this century, only one player has found the net more often during his club's first Serie A 10 matches - Luca Toni fired home 12 for Fiorentina back in 2005.
While midfielder Marco Brescianini again joins long-term absentees Gianluca Scamacca and Giorgio Scalvini on the sidelines, Ivorian centre-back Odilon Kossounou could return from a thigh problem.
Monza's injury list still features Samuele Birindelli, Alessio Cragno and Stefano Sensi, but Bergamo-born Roberto Gagliardini - a graduate of La Dea's primavera - may return.
Due to Warren Bondo's red card at the weekend, Alessandro Nesta must make a change in midfield, where either Alessandro Bianco or Omari Forson should partner skipper Matteo Pessina - another ex-Atalanta player.
Following a brief layoff, recent Italy debutant Daniel Maldini returned to the bench on Sunday; he will now vie with Dany Mota and Gianluca Caprari to support lone frontman Milan Djuric.
Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Carnesecchi; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac; Bellanova, Ederson, De Roon, Ruggeri; Samardzic, Lookman; Retegui
Monza possible starting lineup:
Turati; Izzo, Mari, Carboni; Pereira, Pessina, Bianco, Kyriakopoulos; Mota, Maldini; Djuric
We say: Atalanta BC 3-1 Monza
One aberration aside - their 0-0 draw with Celtic - a voracious Atalanta side simply cannot stop scoring, averaging four goals per home game in Serie A.
Although Gian Piero Gasperini may choose midweek to make changes amid a hectic schedule, the hosts should still have too much firepower for their visitors to handle.
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Jonathan O'Shea
