Atalantavs.Hellas Verona

The Bergamo club scored three times without reply in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final, but they had lost their two previous games and have plenty of work to do in domestic competition.

Match preview

Perhaps topping their feats of recent years in the Champions League, Atalanta put one foot into the Europa League semi-finals by beating Liverpool last time out, with Gianluca Scamacca bagging a brace for the visitors and Mario Pasalic also finding the net on their respective returns to England.

The two teams are set to lock horns again in next week's second leg, when Jurgen Klopp's side will need to produce another one of their famed fightbacks at the Gewiss Stadium, but first La Dea must focus on matters in Serie A.

Atalanta recently lost the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final against Fiorentina, before suffering a shock 2-1 league loss away to Cagliari, leaving them requiring a comeback of their own in the cup and sitting sixth in the top-flight standings.

Eight points off the top four - though just five behind fifth spot, which could ultimately prove enough to secure a cherished Champions League return - Gian Piero Gasperini's men were on course for a point down in Cagliari, following Scamacca's early strike, but still left Sardinia empty-handed.

Worryingly for 'Gasp', the Bergamaschi have won only one of their last six league games, having started the second half of the season with five successive Serie A victories.

Nonetheless, despite being beaten by Bologna last month, his team have won seven of their last eight home fixtures in the Italian top flight, scoring at an impressive rate of nearly three goals per game.

Beaten 1-0 at Stadio Bentegodi in September's reverse fixture, Verona have struggled to get the better of Atalanta in recent times, and they will travel to Lombardy in desperate need of points to swerve Serie A's trapdoor once again.

The Scaligeri only managed to escape relegation via a tense playoff last year, and Marco Baroni's current squad sit just one point above the drop zone following last week's home defeat to Genoa.

Though Federico Bonazzoli continued his mid-season revival by opening the scoring, Verona's visitors fought back to snatch maximum points at the Bentegodi, despite having much less of the ball.

Bonazzoli may have topped his tally up to three Serie A strikes for the season, but with Cyril Ngonge and Milan Djuric both departing in January, he has only been outscored by midfielder Michael Folorunsho, and Baroni's boys average under one goal per game.

However, Hellas have at least avoided defeat in three of their last four away matches, and having also won on two of their last three visits to Bergamo, precedent is not entirely against them returning home with a point.

Atalanta BC Serie A form:

D

L

L

D

W

L

Atalanta BC form (all competitions):

D

W

W

L

L

W

Hellas Verona Serie A form:

L

W

W

L

D

L

Team News

Only Italy defender Giorgio Scalvini will certainly miss Monday's game through injury for Atalanta, with a hamstring problem expected to keep the 20-year-old sidelined until next month.

Sead Kolasinac is struggling with an adductor issue but could still feature against Verona, though Marten De Roon, who captained La Dea to success in Liverpool, joins Davide Zappacosta in missing out due to suspension.

Gian Piero Gasperini otherwise has a full squad available and could rotate his resources ahead of Thursday's big Europa League clash; Gianluca Scamacca has four goals in his last four games but may be among several players rested.

Meanwhile, Suat Serdar must serve a one-match ban for the visitors, who could also be missing Juan Cruz again - the latter faces a race against time to make Marco Baroni's squad after a muscular injury.

Giangiacomo Magnani could return to the back four following suspension, which would most likely see Diego Coppola step aside, but few other changes are expected.

Federico Bonazzoli has scored in his last two appearances so should be retained up front, alongside Dutch striker Tijjani Noslin.

Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:

Carnesecchi; Toloi, Hien, Djimsiti; Hateboer, Ederson, Koopmeiners, Ruggeri; Miranchuk, Lookman; De Ketelaere

Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:

Montipo; Centonze, Magnani, Dawidowicz, Cabal; Duda, Folorunsho; Suslov, Bonazzoli, Lazovic; Noslin

We say: Atalanta BC 1-0 Hellas Verona

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