Having headed in very different directions during November, Serie A rivals Roma and Atalanta BC will clash at Stadio Olimpico on Monday evening.
In stark contrast to La Dea's superb run of seven league wins on the spin, the home side last tasted success one month ago.
Match preview
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Not only have Roma been far below expectations in Serie A, where they sit inside the bottom half of the standings with a third of the season played, their latest Europa League campaign has failed to launch too.
The Giallorossi were indebted to a late Mats Hummels strike in Thursday night's 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur in London, with his 91st-minute goal giving them a slim two-point buffer to the elimination places in the league-phase table.
After a tough start to life in Rome, during which he was largely ignored by former bosses Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Juric, Hummels made up for conceding an early penalty by salvaging a point on Claudio Ranieri's return to England.
However, Roma have won none of their last five fixtures, including last week's 1-0 reverse at Stadio Maradona, where Napoli claimed victory via an almost inevitable goal from ex-Giallorosso Romelu Lukaku to spoil Ranieri's comeback.
As a result, the capital club have lost their last three league games and could now suffer four straight Serie A defeats for the first time in 16 years; while a tally of 13 points from as many matches so far represents Roma's worst start to a season this century.
At 73, Ranieri was lured out of retirement in order to revive his hometown team, who have burned through three managers in under a year, but his task is substantial - particularly given the fine form of Italy's top six, including Atalanta.
As Roma have picked up just one point from the sides' last four meetings before the pair convene again on Monday, history will not be on their side either.
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A sure sign that the provincial outsiders have surpassed their capital-city counterparts in Italy's pecking order is that Atalanta will travel south with just one loss from their last 10 away games against Roma.
La Dea's confidence is also sky-high following another convincing win in midweek, when an inspired Charles De Ketelaere - who scored twice in last season's 2-1 home victory over the Giallorossi - played a part in five goals during a 6-1 thrashing of Young Boys.
After their groundbreaking Europa League triumph last term, Gian Piero Gasperini's men are unbeaten in Europe this season, and success in Switzerland sees them occupying one of eight automatic qualifying spots for the Champions League's last 16.
That was the latest in a sequence of seven straight wins across all competitions, after Atalanta kept their pursuit of a first-ever Scudetto on track by beating Parma 3-1 last weekend.
Goals have flowed freely throughout a scintillating start to the 2024-25 campaign, and 28 points is the club's best return at this stage of a top-flight season.
Only once have they won more successive matches in Serie A - nine, between February and July 2020 - but the brilliant Bergamaschi are fast closing on that landmark.
Team News
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Though Claudio Ranieri was able to include Alexis Saelemaekers in Roma's squad on Thursday, following a two-month absence with an ankle injury, the veteran coach will be without Mario Hermoso once again.
Rising star Niccolo Pisilli is suspended due to accumulated bookings, which increases the chances of captain Lorenzo Pellegrini returning to the hosts' starting XI.
Paulo Dybala should support Artem Dovbyk up front, while Saelemaekers, Tommaso Baldanzi and Matias Soule are all vying for promotion from the bench if Ranieri opts to make changes.
Meanwhile, Gian Piero Gasperini - who must serve a suspension after his latest touchline outburst in Parma - is still missing Rome-born Gianluca Scamacca and ex-Roma wing-back Davide Zappacosta, but Nicolo Zaniolo could play a part against his old club.
Scamacca's fellow ACL victim Giorgio Scalvini made an express return to fitness and is set for a place on the visitors' bench.
Atalanta's top scorer Mateo Retegui - who also leads the Capocannoniere rankings - is the first player in La Dea's history to reach 12 goals at this stage of a Serie A season; Charles De Ketelaere and Ademola Lookman, the latter of whom is yet to score against Roma, will complete a potent triumvirate.
Roma possible starting lineup:
Svilar; Mancini, Hummels, Ndicka; Celik, Kone, Cristante, Angelino; Dybala, Pellegrini; Dovbyk
Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Carnesecchi; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac; Bellanova, Ederson, De Roon, Ruggeri; De Ketelaere, Lookman; Retegui
We say: Roma 2-2 Atalanta BC
Roma's wait for a win will go on, but the home side may be able to halt Atalanta by hanging on for a draw.
Everything the visitors touch turns to goals, but the Giallorossi have some untapped potential and can benefit from Claudio Ranieri's avuncular approach.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
