Following a glorious climax to last season, Atalanta BC begin their latest league campaign on Monday, as they travel south to meet Lecce at Stadio Via del Mare.
The Europa League winners were beaten by mighty Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup, but now they resume domestic duties, aiming for a seventh straight win on Serie A's opening matchday.
Match preview
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Bringing precious silverware back home to Bergamo after a 61-year wait, Atalanta somehow overcame an apparently invincible Bayer Leverkusen side in last season's Europa League final, capping off Gian Piero Gasperini's remarkable reign at the club.
'Gasp' has overseen La Dea's transformation from Serie A strugglers to continental contenders, and Ademola Lookman's spectacular hat-trick not only sealed the deal in Dublin but also healed wounds from losing to Juventus in the Coppa Italia final one week earlier.
Atalanta ultimately finished just behind Juve in the league standings, claiming fourth place ahead of Bologna by winning six of their last seven league matches and suitably wrapping up a memorable season.
Intent on continuing in that vein this year, their plans have been somewhat scuppered by injuries and transfer unrest, as Gianluca Scamacca and Giorgio Scalvini will both be sidelined for several months, while Teun Koopmeiners and El-Bilal Toure seem set to leave.
A 2-2 draw against AZ Alkmaar got the Nerazzurri's pre-season schedule under under way last month, but three-goal losses to Parma and FC St. Pauli then preceded Wednesday's 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid in Warsaw.
Now, La Dea's league campaign begins down at Via del Mare, where they have won on three of their last four visits, including a 2-0 victory in May.
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Lecce have also returned to competitive action this season, and after exiting the Coppa Italia to Serie B opposition last summer, they avoided another upset in Monday's first-round tie against Mantova.
The Salentini saw off their second-tier counterparts thanks to a late winner from last term's top scorer Nikola Krstovic, sending them into the next round and calming nerves after a rough run of results to end pre-season.
Having kicked off with a win over Werder Bremen, Lecce then came away empty-handed from games against Galatasaray, Huddersfield Town and Nice, so Luca Gotti will have been relieved to progress in the cup.
After former boss Roberto D'Aversa was sacked following a post-match headbutt on Hellas Verona's Thomas Henry, ex-Chelsea assistant Gotti ultimately steered the Giallorossi to safety last season, even though they ended the 2023-24 campaign without a win in five games.
Finishing 14th was enough to secure Gotti the job on a longer-term basis, and he will now seek just a second opening-day win for Lecce: last year, they won a Serie A opener for the first time in their history, having recorded six draws and 11 defeats in 17 previous attempts.
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Team News
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In addition to the unfortunate Gianluca Scamacca, who was struck down by an ACL rupture during pre-season, and Giorgio Scalvini - still sidelined by the injury that caused him to miss Euro 2024 - fellow Italy international Nicolo Zaniolo is set to miss out on his Atalanta debut due to tendonitis.
Three other new boys, Ben Godfrey, Ibrahim Sulemana and recently-signed striker Mateo Retegui should all feature, though, and captain Marten De Roon returned to action against Real Madrid following his injury in the Coppa Italia final.
Gian Piero Gasperini may also be without Rafael Toloi (flexor) and Sead Kolasinac (muscular), so Godfrey could make his first start. Furthermore, Teun Koopmeiners, Ademola Lookman and El-Bilal Toure are all trying to force moves away.
Nonetheless, Charles De Ketelaere is still available and will hope to pick up where he left off last season: the Belgian, now signed permanently from AC Milan, has registered eight league goals and four assists so far in 2024.
Lecce's main marksman last term was Montenegrin striker Nikola Kristovic, and he will lead the Puglian side's attack on Monday; Atalanta loanee Roberto Piccoli has left for Cagliari.
Luca Gotti has also lost Gabriel Strefezza to newcomers Como and Marin Pongracic to Fiorentina, but Kialonda Gaspar replaces the latter at centre-back and scored the opening goal against Mantova on his debut.
Only long-term absentee Mohamed Kaba is set to miss the Salentini's Serie A opener, as he continues the long road back from a serious knee injury.
Lecce possible starting lineup:
Falcone; Gendrey, Baschirotto, Gaspar, Gallo; Ramadani, Pierret; Oudin, Marchwinski, Dorgu; Krstovic
Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Musso; Godfrey, Hien, Djimsiti; Zappacosta, De Roon, Ederson, Ruggeri; Pasalic; De Ketelaere, Retegui
We say: Lecce 1-1 Atalanta BC
Considering they were mainly occupied with staying afloat in Serie A, Lecce lost only seven times on home turf last season, and Atalanta will not be relishing a first-day trip to Via del Mare.
La Dea's run-in to their opening league game has not been ideal either, while the hosts already have a morale-boosting cup win under their belts.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
