Back-to-back defeats leave Atalanta BC looking from the outside into Serie A's top four, and they aim to get back on track against Udinese on Saturday evening.
Three losses from their last four league games have seen the Bergamaschi slip behind in the race for Champions League qualification, while their visitors are also struggling for form after taking just three points from their last five.
Match preview
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Still one of Serie A's form sides as recently as last month, Atalanta's losses to Lecce and Sassuolo - in addition to exiting the Coppa Italia against Inter - left them lacking confidence before their encounter with regional rivals Milan last Sunday.
A timid display at San Siro saw Gian Piero Gasperini's men beaten 2-0 by their Lombardy neighbours, and a run of four defeats from five in all competitions has cast a shadow over their hopes of returning to the Champions League next term.
Having averaged 2.7 goals per game at the start of 2023, La Dea have now scored only once in their last two fixtures, so Gasperini will be keen for his previously productive strike partnership of Ademola Lookman and Rasmus Hojlund to get back among the goals this weekend.
Absent from continental competition this year due to a decline during the second half of last season, Atalanta are intent on avoiding a repeat in the months ahead, and with all their main rivals still engaged in Europe, they hold a clear advantage in terms of time to rest and plan between games.
Having gone unbeaten in their last 10 Serie A meetings with Udinese - winning seven times in the process - precedent is certainly on their side before the clubs' clash at Gewiss Stadium this time around. Furthermore, they have found the net in each of their last 15 league matches against the Friulani, scoring an average of 2.3 goals.
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Such has been their drought in this match-up, after a 2-2 result in October's reverse fixture Udinese's last top-flight victory over Atalanta dates back to October 2017 - and their most recent clean sheet against them came almost eight years ago.
That record makes for as grim reading as the Bianconeri's recent run of form in Serie A; after they were forced to settle for a 2-2 home draw against Spezia last week they have won just one of their last 16 league matches, drawing nine.
The only team across Europe's top five leagues to have recorded fewer wins over the same period is Ligue 1's last-placed side Angers, but that situation could have been improved if they had held onto a 2-1 lead earned by strikes from Beto and Roberto Pereyra instead of conceding again in the 72nd minute.
Pereyra - who has been involved in three goals (two of his own and one assist) in his last three appearances against Atalanta - has recently returned from injury to captain Andrea Sottil's side, but the continued absence of chief creator Gerard Deulofeu has surely played its part in their decline.
Still clinging on to a place in the top half of the table, Udinese have fared fairly well on the road this term, but ahead of the trip to Bergamo have won only one of their last 14 away matches against Atalanta in Serie A. Incidentally, that was a 3-1 success in December 2016, with the opener scored by current La Dea striker Duvan Zapata, who still wore the visitors' Bianconeri jersey at the time.
Team News
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While Zapata is once again sidelined by injury this week, continuing a frustrating season for the Colombian striker, his compatriot Luis Muriel has scored 12 Serie A goals against Udinese in the past - at least four more than against any other opponent.
However, the former Fruilani forward is suffering his longest league run without scoring (eight) since 2019, so Ademola Lookman and Rasmus Hojlund are expected to start up front instead. The latter is the youngest player in Europe's top five leagues to have scored five or more goals in 2023, but was nullified by Milan's new-look defence in his most recent outing and failed to attempt any shots.
Elsewhere, Hans Hateboer is out for the rest of the season with a serious knee injury, while Giorgio Scalvini is struggling with an ankle problem and is set to be replaced by Merih Demiral or Jose Luis Palomino in the hosts' back three.
Meanwhile, Andrea Sottil - a former Atalanta defender - remains without Gerard Deulofeu and Enzo Ebosse for his latest return to Bergamo.
Jaka Bijol returns from suspension, though, so should slot straight back into the Bianconeri's defence, which was breached twice by lowly Spezia last week.
With wing-back Kingsley Ehizibue serving a one-match ban for accumulated bookings, Roberto Pereyra could shift across to the right flank, allowing Lazar Samardzic or Tolgay Arslan an opportunity in central midfield.
Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Musso; Toloi, Demiral, Djimsiti; Zappacosta, De Roon, Koopmeiners, Maehle; Boga; Lookman, Hojlund
Udinese possible starting lineup:
Silvestri; Becao, Bijol, Perez; Pereyra, Samardzic, Walace, Lovric, Udogie; Success, Beto
We say: Atalanta BC 1-1 Udinese
Having become Calcio's draw specialists over recent months, Udinese can pick up another single-point haul on Saturday, as they meet an Atalanta side in decline. An electrifying start to 2023 has petered out for La Dea, who will have to settle for a home draw against capable opposition.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Jonathan O'Shea
