Battling it out to play Inter Milan in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, Atalanta BC and Spezia meet at Gewiss Stadium on Thursday afternoon.
While the Bergamaschi - beaten finalists in two of the last four years - have racked up 10 goals in winning their last two Serie A matches, their visitors pulled further clear of trouble with a rare away victory in Turin last time out.
Match preview
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Having stuttered to the end of 2022 and then continued their winless run straight after the winter break, Atalanta finally ended that drought with a comeback victory in Bologna before going up through the gears against Salernitana last Sunday.
The Bergamo club have found scoring more of a challenge in recent times, having once been Serie A's most reliable source of goals, but they re-found their touch in spectacular fashion at home to the Campanian club: smashing in eight goals and even finding time to miss a penalty.
A success story since moving to Lombardy last summer, well-travelled forward Ademola Lookman bagged a brace in La Dea's ruthless 8-2 demolition job - a result which ultimately cost Salernitana coach Davide Nicola his position.
Now occupying sixth spot, but just four points adrift of second-placed Milan in a congested section of the Serie A standings, Atalanta are in contention for a return to the Champions League next term, but their best chance of glory this year surely comes in the cup.
Despite being eliminated by Fiorentina in last year's quarter-final tie at Gewiss Stadium, they have won 16 of their last 18 Coppa Italia matches on home soil; keeping 10 clean sheets in the process.
Still seeking to add another national cup to their first and only triumph back in 1963, Gian Piero Gasperini's current side seem particularly well-suited to knockout football, but must now prove it again in their first Coppa contest of the season.
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While Atalanta received a bye to the last 16 by virtue of their league finish in 2021-22, Spezia had no such fortune and were required to make their way through the earlier rounds.
Luca Gotti's first competitive match in charge of the Ligurian club came at home to first-round victims Como (5-1), before Brescia were dispatched 3-1 in mid-October - also at Stadio Alberto Picco.
After overcoming Serie B opposition in successive rounds, the Aquilotti will now undertake the trip to Bergamo, where they meet a team they held to a 2-2 draw earlier this month but now appears to be recovering its confidence.
That elusive trait been in short supply at the Picco in recent months, but Spezia at least extended their unbeaten streak in Serie A to its fifth game on Sunday, when they edged past Torino thanks to M'Bala Nzola's first-half strike from the penalty spot.
Having posted their best undefeated run since reaching the top flight for the first time back in 2020, they sit some nine points clear of the bottom three as the second half of the season approaches. Therefore, Gotti and co can approach Thursday's cup tie relatively free from concern about their Serie A status.
Team News
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Set to face top-six rivals Juventus on Sunday evening, Atalanta are likely to prioritise that tough test in Turin, so Gian Piero Gasperini may make a number of changes to his side in midweek.
Only Luis Muriel is a doubt due to his heel injury, while influential midfielder Teun Koopmeiners is ruled out of the La Dea's weekend fixture by suspension so could still feature in the cup.
Muriel's Colombian compatriot Duvan Zapata - perhaps bound for the Premier League this month - is likely to partner young Rasmus Hojlund or Ademola Lookman up front. Only Napoli's Victor Osimhen (12) has scored more Serie A goals than Lookman's nine so far this season.
Meanwhile, Dutch goalkeeper Jeroen Zoet is still unavailable for Spezia, meaning Bartlomiej Dragowski may continue as the visitors' last line of defence.
Defender Dimitrios Nikolaou must serve a one-match Serie A ban against Roma on Sunday, so is likely to be retained, while captain Emmanuel Gyasi and leading scorer M'Bala Nzola (currently on six goals) could join forces up front - Milan loanee Daniel Maldini may be offered a rare start instead, though.
Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Sportiello; Okoli, Demiral, Djimsiti; Zortea, Koopmeiners, Pasalic, Soppy; Ederson; Boga, Zapata
Spezia possible starting lineup:
Dragowski; Amian, Kiwior, Nikolaou; Ferrer, Zurkowski, Ekdal, Bastoni, Moutinho; Gyasi, Maldini
We say: Atalanta BC 2-0 Spezia
As Atalanta's squad depth is more substantial than their visitors', even if Gian Piero Gasperini overhauls his side for the cup, they can still make it through to the last eight. Setting up a quarter-final tie with regional rivals Inter, the Bergamaschi are sure to score at least once past opponents who are not the most secure in defence.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
