With just one win between them throughout the last five rounds, Atalanta BC and an ailing Salernitana side contest three points at the Gewiss Stadium on Sunday.
While the Bergamaschi broke their drought with a comeback victory in Bologna, their southern counterparts last won in October and have slid down the Serie A standings as a result.
Match preview
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Only one point taken from four matches before travelling to Emilia-Romagna on Monday night made grim reading for Atalanta fans, but coming away from Stadio Renato Dall'Ara with a win after having fallen a goal behind early on at least brightens a gloomy spell for La Dea.
Gian Piero Gasperini's men had salvaged a late draw at Spezia on their return to Serie A duty following the winter break, and they found two second-half goals again in Bologna, where they emerged with maximum points thanks to strikes from in-demand midfielder Teun Koopmeiners and young striker Rasmus Hojlund.
Even if Atalanta have now finally triumphed on the road, their demise on home soil mirrors a similar loss of form in Bergamo last term: the Nerazzurri have lost each of their last three league matches at the Gewiss Stadium.
In the club's top-flight history, on only three occasions have they lost more consecutive home games - and not since 1997 - so Gasperini will be doubly keen to avoid extending such a streak on Sunday and keep his team in touch with the top four.
Entering the final round of the season's first half, Atalanta sat sixth - just three points adrift of fourth-placed Inter - and for all their recent woes have put together the club's best defensive record at this stage of a campaign for over 20 years.
While La Dea's latest visitors certainly know how to find the back of the net, keeping their back door shut at the same time has proved a whole different matter.
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Since their shock win at Lazio back in late October, Salernitana have leaked 10 goals in the intervening five games and have failed to win any.
Having signed at Stadio Arechi just a few weeks ago, goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa has made 16 Serie A saves - the best record of any stopper so far this year - and only the Mexican's intervention has prevented the situation growing worse.
Following a 2-1 defeat to Milan in their return to competitive action after the break, and a 1-1 draw with Davide Nicola's former club Torino, they are now on their longest winless run since the coach's slow start to life in Salerno early last year: they occupy 14th spot in the table after 17 rounds.
While still nine points clear of the drop zone - a far cry from their rock-bottom position 12 months ago - Salernitana do not travel well and a record of one win from eight attempts this term is surely cause for concern.
They drew 1-1 with Atalanta when the sides last met in Bergamo in May, and a repeat of such a result this week would be welcome for a team hoping to avoid terminal decline after a brighter start to the season.
Team News
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An almost fully-fit squad should be available to Gian Piero Gasperini on Sunday, with only Luis Muriel being forced to train individually due to a heel problem this week and potentially missing out.
Muriel's Colombian compatriot Duvan Zapata overcame a knee injury to start against Bologna and is likely to partner Rasmus Hojlund up front again, though Ademola Lookman is also in contention.
Following his powerful strike last time out, midfielder Teun Koopmeiners has now scored five Serie A goals from outside the box for Atalanta since joining the club in the summer of 2021 - only former teammate Ruslan Malinovskyi (recently departed for Marseille) and ex-Napoli star Fabian Ruiz have netted more during that time.
Salernitana, meanwhile, are again without Giulio Maggiore, goalkeeper Luigi Sepe and captain Pasquale Mazzocchi due to injury; but Norbert Gyomber returned from a thigh problem as a substitute last time out and should now start in the visitors' back three.
Lassana Coulibaly is back from a ban to feature in midfield, but centre-back Flavius Daniliuc must now serve a suspension due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
Up front, Boulaye Dia and Krzysztof Piatek fight it out to lead the line, and Atalanta are the latter's favourite opponents in Serie A: he has scored four times in four meetings with them to date.
Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Musso; Toloi, Palomino, Scalvini; Hateboer, De Roon, Koopmeiners, Ruggeri; Ederson; Lookman, Hojlund
Salernitana possible starting lineup:
Ochoa; Bronn, Gyomber, Fazio; Candreva, Nicolussi, Coulibaly, Bradaric; Vilhena; Bonazzoli, Piatek
We say: Atalanta BC 2-1 Salernitana
During the opening 15 minutes of play in Serie A this season, Salernitana have shipped the joint-most goals (six), but they cannot afford a slow start on Sunday. There are some signs Atalanta may be clicking back into gear following the winter break, and the hosts can punish any slip-ups from a vulnerable away side.
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Top tip
Jonathan O'Shea
