Having blown hot and cold so far this season, Atalanta BC will be seeking a third straight win on Sunday, as they visit Venezia at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo.
Eight goals in two games - in Serie A and the Champions League - helped La Dea end on a high heading into the international break, but their ailing hosts have slipped to the foot of the table.
Match preview
Almost inevitably, Atalanta's in-form striker Mateo Retegui signed off by scoring a hat-trick against former club Genoa - soon followed by netting twice in two games for Italy - as La Dea strode to a 5-1 home win last time out.
In addition to their 3-0 defeat of Shakhtar Donetsk in Europe, Gian Piero Gasperini's side have already scored 16 Serie A goals this term, partly covering for their defensive deficiencies.
Not only does that haul put them top of the charts alongside reigning champions Inter Milan, but it also represents the Bergamo club's fourth-best tally at this stage of a top-flight campaign.
However, Atalanta's attempt to build on last season's Europa League triumph by contending for a first Italian title has been undermined by inconsistency, and they only occupy eighth place after seven league matches.
Gasperini will not have far to look in terms of pinpointing their main flaw: the Nerazzurri have won just one of their first four away fixtures in Serie A, conceding an average of almost two goals per game when on the road.
They can travel to Venice with the weight of history behind them, though, having won all of their last five top-flight meetings with Venezia, including both of the last two at Stadio Penzo.
With a record of five defeats from their first seven games, Venezia are mired inside Serie A's relegation zone, already facing a long battle to avoid an automatic return to Calcio's second tier.
After Paolo Vanoli led them up through the Serie B playoffs, his departure for Torino saw Eusebio Di Francesco take the reins, but the Lagunari could now be heading the same way as his relegated Frosinone side last term.
Venezia narrowly lost to two more of Di Francesco's former clubs - Roma and Hellas Verona - just before the break, with both games being decided by late winners.
That has left him clinging onto his job ahead of Atalanta's arrival, as the Arancioneroverdi aim to post consecutive Serie A home wins for the first time since January 2000, when current Italy coach Luciano Spalletti was briefly in charge.
As their latest visitors have scored the joint-most set-piece goals this season, while Venezia have conceded the most (both seven), Di Francesco and co will surely have been putting in overtime on the training ground to prepare for Sunday's contest.
Team News
Atalanta spent the summer reinforcing their squad for a busy season ahead, but they are still short of a fully-fit defensive department: long-term absentee Giorgio Scalvini (ACL) is ruled out until next year, while Rafael Toloi (thigh) could be joined by Odilon Kossounou (muscular) and Berat Djimsiti (hip) on the sidelines.
Wing-back Matteo Ruggeri is also a doubt, while midfielder Marco Brescianini is not due back for a few weeks yet, but Gianluca Scamacca's absence up front is being competently covered by Mateo Retegui.
Throughout the three-points-for-a-win era, no Italy international has topped the latter's tally of seven goals in his first seven games for any Serie A club. Only a handful of players, including Mario Balotelli (AC Milan) and Roberto Baggio (Bologna) have matched that feat, while Luca Toni bagged nine in eight at the start of his spell with Fiorentina.
Meanwhile, Venezia's focal point is Finland striker Joel Pohjanpalo, who scored in his nation's recent home defeat to the Republic of Ireland and also has two league goals on the board this term.
First-choice midfielder Alfred Duncan remains doubtful due to a muscular problem - so Mikael Egill Ellertsson and Issa Doumbia could be competing for one place in the hosts' engine room - while Bjarki Bjarkason is still out of action.
Venezia possible starting lineup:
Joronen; Idzes, Svoboda, Sverko; Candela, Ellertsson, Nicolussi Caviglia, Zampano; Busio, Oristanio; Pohjanpalo
Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Carnesecchi; De Roon, Hien, Kolasinac; Bellanova, Ederson, Pasalic, Zappacosta; De Ketelaere, Lookman; Retegui
We say: Venezia 0-2 Atalanta BC
Packed with firepower and full of confidence from their feats just before the break, Atalanta should take care of business against Venezia.
The early evidence suggests that the hosts are in for a scrap to defy the drop, while La Dea are eyeing another top-four challenge.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
body check tags ::
Previews by email
