Building towards the new Serie A season and their upcoming assault on the Champions League, Atalanta BC visit Parma at Stadio Tardini on Sunday.
The Europa League winners' penultimate friendly before taking part in the UEFA Super Cup pits them together with a club that also enjoyed success in 2023-24.
Match preview
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Finally bringing a European trophy back home to Bergamo, Atalanta managed to beat an apparently invincible Bayer Leverkusen side in last term's Europa League final, ending an agonising 61-year wait for silverware.
Their triumph in Dublin also crowned the career of veteran coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who has overseen La Dea's transformation from Serie A also-rans to continental contenders.
Victory - earned by Ademola Lookman's spectacular hat-trick - came just one week after the Nerazzurri had lost to Juventus in the Coppa Italia decider for a second time in three years, and they ultimately finished just behind Juve in the final Serie A standings.
Despite concluding a successful campaign with defeat to Fiorentina, Gasperini's men had previously won six straight league games for the first time since 2021, and they are now intent on continuing in that vein this season.
A 2-2 draw against AZ Alkmaar last week got preparations firmly under way, and following their weekend trip to Emilia-Romagna, Atalanta will take on Bundesliga new boys St Pauli next Friday.
Then, a date with mighty Real Madrid awaits, as the two winners of UEFA's leading club competitions meet in Warsaw, before La Dea's league campaign begins in Lecce on August 19.
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While Atalanta were thriving on one of Europe's highest stages, Parma's success last season came in the Italian second tier, as they topped Serie B by three points to book their return to Calcio's elite level.
Under the guidance of former Napoli midfielder and Cremonese coach Fabio Pecchia, the Gialloblu pipped Como to first place, and they are now building towards the upcoming 2024-25 campaign.
After losing to Lugano and then beating Antwerp in their first two warm-up matches, Parma recently played a pair of friendlies in Austria: a 1-0 defeat to Heidenheim following the Emilian side's 2-0 win over Galatasaray four days earlier.
Their toughest test yet will come at the Tardini on Sunday, before competitive action resumes with a Coppa Italia first-round tie versus Palermo.
Then, two enticing home games will kick off the Crociati's Serie A comeback campaign: their first top-flight fixture in three years is against Fiorentina on August 17, with a clash against AC Milan following one week later.
Team News
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In addition to Giorgio Scalvini - who is still sidelined by the injury that caused him to miss Euro 2024 - newly-signed loanee Nicolo Zaniolo is also unavailable to Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini this weekend.
Fellow new boys Ben Godfrey and Ibrahim Sulemana should both feature, though, while captain Marten De Roon is back in action following his unfortunate injury on the eve of the Europa League final.
Four players reached double figures in Serie A last season - Gianluca Scamacca, Teun Koopmeiners, Ademola Lookman and Charles De Ketelaere - and despite persistent rumours linking Koopmeiners with a move to Juventus, that potent quartet should all be involved at the Tardini.
Meanwhile, Parma's new recruits, full-back Emanuele Valeri and Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, may both start on Sunday.
Captain Yordan Osorio rejoined the squad for Wednesday's friendly against Heidenheim, having previously been on holiday after representing Venezuela at the Copa America.
Romania winger Dennis Man and Brazilian midfielder Hernani - the latter of whom has scored twice in pre-season so far - are likely to support Yoan Bonny up front.
Parma possible starting lineup:
Suzuki; Del Prato, Osorio, Balogh, Valeri; Cyprien, Sohm; Man, Hernani, Mihaila; Bonny
Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Carnesecchi; Godfrey, Hien, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, De Roon, Ederson, Ruggeri; Koopmeiners, Lookman; Scamacca
We say: Parma 1-1 Atalanta BC
As Parma are further ahead in their preparations and have home advantage, the Serie A newcomers can hold their more established counterparts to a draw in this pre-season contest; Atalanta are still well short of match fitness.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
