Atalanta BC reconvene for domestic matters with a home encounter against Cagliari in Serie A on Sunday after returning to the European stage in midweek.

La Dea beat Polish champions Rakow Czestochowa here at the Gewiss Stadium on Thursday in their first European outing in almost 18 months.

Match preview

That success in Europe has continued a run of form in the early stages of the season which have seen Atalanta alternate between wins and losses.

Form which currently reads as win, loss, win, loss, win is an ominous sign, though, should that carry on here.

At home though, Atalanta are yet to be breached, winning 2-0 on Thursday against Rakow, as well as 3-0 against Monza in their only other match at the Gewiss Stadium so far this season.

Gian Piero Gasperini has a busy schedule ahead before the October international break though, with five games in three weeks against some tricky opponents.

After Cagliari, Atalanta travel to Verona to face Hellas in midweek, before returning here for a clash with Juventus next weekend.

Sporting Lisbon away in the Europa League then follows, before a trip to the capital to face Lazio.

Despite losing two of their first four Serie A games, Atalanta are still within touching distance of the top four, currently sitting just two points off the Champions League places.

A fine home record should give Gasperini's men confidence too, as La Dea have won six of their last seven here - scoring 19.

Cagliari have not been welcome opponents to the Gewiss of late though, considering the Sardinians have won on four of their last visits to Bergamo.

If they can maintain that fine record over Atalanta, then it would provide Claudio Ranieri's side with their first win of the campaign.

Currently down in 18th, Cagliari have just two points so far, both of which came in 0-0 draws.

Only bottom-placed Empoli who have zero points and zero goals have fewer of either in Serie A, and things are not going to get any easier for the newly-promoted side.

Including this upcoming encounter, Cagliari's next four games are all against sides who qualified for Europe.

After Atalanta, Cagliari face AC Milan, Fiorentina and Roma all before the October break, so it is tough to see on paper where they will pick up the points to move themselves out of the bottom three before then.

However, while Cagliari do have an excellent record, especially away, against Atalanta, so does manager Ranieri, who has lost only four times to La Dea in 25 career head-to-heads.

Team News

Gasperini went with a very attacking lineup in midweek, starting with three out-and-out attackers in what was still a rather strong Atalanta lineup.

Luis Muriel came in for a first start of the season, but the Colombian may drop out to make way for an extra body to be added to midfield.

That is likely to be Ederson, who came off the bench to score Atalanta's second on Thursday, and he should partner Teun Koopmeiners and Marten De Roon in the centre.

Sead Kolasinac also sat out the visit of Rakow, but he is expected to return, replacing either Rafael Toloi or Berat Djimsiti.

Cagliari's scoring woes could tempt Ranieri into starting Andrea Petagna, a man who has scored six times against Atalanta since leaving the club in 2018.

Petagna scored for Monza in a 5-2 defeat on the final day of last season, but having played only 45 minutes so far this season, a start is unlikely.

Pantelis Hatzidiakos made his debut after arriving from AZ Alkmaar last week and kept a clean sheet in the stalemate with Udinese.

Hatzidiakos's defensive partner Mateusz Wieteska is suspended though, after he was sent off in the dying moments, so Nahitan Nandez may return in what could be a change in shape.

Gianluca Lapadula and Croatian midfielder Marko Rog are Cagliari's only two injury absentees at present.

Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Musso; Rafael Toloi, Scalvini, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, De Roon, Koopmeiners, Ederson, Ruggeri; Lookman, De Ketelaere

Cagliari possible starting lineup:
Radunovic, Zappa, Dossena, Hatzidiakos, Augello; Nandez, Suleman Kakari, Makoumbou, Deiola, Luvombo; Pavoletti

We say: Atalanta BC 2-0 Cagliari

Even though Atalanta have been bouncing between winning and losing, they should make it back-to-back wins for the first time this season against relegation-candidates Cagliari.

Despite a fine recent record here at the Gewiss Stadium, Cagliari look likely to struggle all season, especially with no obvious goal threat, so another blank could be on the cards too.


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