Inter Milan and Atalanta will have their sights set on fourth place in the table when they lock horns at the Gewiss Stadium on Sunday before heading into the World Cup break.
Atalanta’s first several months of the campaign have been significantly better than most anticipated. In fact, La Dea were surprisingly sitting on top of the league for a few weeks after going unbeaten in the first month and a half. However, they have struggled for results against top opposition, slumbering to narrow defeats against Napoli and Lazio in the last couple of weeks.
A heavily-rotated Atalanta squandered a great chance to reclaim second place in the table, as Lecce exploited La Dea’s sloppiness in possession and beat them 2-1 in midweek. They will now face an acid test of their top-four credentials when they come up against Inter Milan, who will face FC Porto in the UEFA Champions League Last 16 after the recent knockout draws.
Despite being swatted aside 2-0 by Juventus only last weekend, Inter Milan will arrive in Bergamo in much better spirits after a 6-1 thrashing of Bologna in midweek’s Serie A action. The Nerazzurri got off to a shaky start, falling behind to an early goal, but shifted into top gear, later on, to make a comeback and triumph 6-1 at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
Inter will look to end the year on a positive note after what was a largely disappointing start to their domestic season compared to the high standards they have set themselves in recent seasons. The Nerazzurri have spent much of the season outside the top four of the Serie A table. But they will be well aware that a win here could propel them into Champions League places.
The corresponding Serie A fixture between the two sides last season ended in a 0-0 stalemate. Ahead of their latest meeting on Saturday at San Siro, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams.
Team News & Tactics
Atalanta
📋 Questi i 22 atalantini convocati per #AtalantaInter!
💪 Here's our squad list for tomorrow's clash!@intesasanpaolo | #GoAtalantaGo ⚫️🔵 pic.twitter.com/TLadiXfEzF
— Atalanta B.C. (@Atalanta_BC) November 12, 2022
The tail end of the 2021/22 season was a forgettable one for Atalanta, with only three wins from their ten league games sending them crashing down to eighth. A lack of killer instincts was partly to blame; they flooded men forward, leaving far too many open spaces at the back for the opposition to exploit.
To address that, La Dea tactician Gian Piero Gasperini ripped apart his old philosophy and started from scratch. Atalanta have been transformed into an ugly, defensive-oriented side that is more focused on defensive organisation and then packs their punch on the counter when the chance arises.
So far, it has worked well. Less relentless pressing and possession metrics have been compensated with quick, direct transitional play, leading to more goalscoring opportunities.
Simone Muratore and Marten De Roon are doubtful for the game with their respective injuries. Luis Muriel, meanwhile, is still out with an injury and is expected to return in 2023. Otherwise, Gasperini has no fresh injury concerns and will pick a strong lineup after resting nine players on Wednesday evening.
Gasperini looks set to stick with his tried-and-tested 3-4-2-1 formation against Inter. Juan Musso will start in goal behind the back three of Berat Djimsiti, Merih Demiral, and Rafael Toloi. Joakim Maehle and Hans Hateboer will be tasked with serving as the flying wing-backs. The system relies heavily on the duo, who will be expected to bomb up and down the flanks all afternoon.
The double pivot of Teun Koopmeiners and Mario Pasalic will be tasked with holding the fort in the middle of the park. The former’s range of passing, accuracy, and finesse means he is the fulcrum of most of their attacking play, while the latter is good at making sharp late runs into the box. Ederson will serve as the attacking midfielder, and will also act as cover for Pasalic’s forward forays.
After only three months in Bergamo, Super Eagles winger Ademola Lookman has taken his game to new heights under Gasperini at the Blue-and-Black club, adding goals to his blistering pace and deadly one-on-one prowess. Duvan Zapata will also be vying for a starting spot up front after getting himself on the score sheet in the mid-week.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Musso; Toloi, Demiral, Djimsiti; Hateboer, Pasalic, Koopmeiners, Maehle; Ederson, Lookman; Zapata
Inter Milan
Inter Milan remain without the services of loan signing Romelu Lukaku, who has started just three games for the visitors this season. Meanwhile, Matteo Darmian, Dalbert, and Danilo D’Ambrosio are all doubtful to make it into the squad making the short trip to Bergamo.
Simone Inzaghi is expected to field an unchanged lineup from Wednesday’s emphatic win over Bologna. Meanwhile, Marcelo Brozovic, who has recently returned from injury, may come back into the fold in Inter’s midfield.
— Inter (@Inter_en) November 12, 2022
Inter will set up in a 3-5-2 formation on Sunday night, with Andre Onana taking his place between the sticks after beating club captain Samir Handanovic for the first-choice starter role. Milan Skriniar, Francesco Acerbi, and Alessandro Bastoni could be the starters in the three-man defensive unit as they look to reduce the threat of Lookman’s pace.
Out wide, Denzel Dumfries will function as an attacking right wing-back, whereas Federico Dimarco is a shoo-in on the other flank after netting a brace against Bologna in midweek. Brozovic slots in as the anchor, flanked by Nicolo Barella and Hakan Calhanoglu, who will offer bundles of energy and creativity on the pitch for the Nerazzurri.
Inzaghi’s standard front pairing of Lautaro Martinez and Edin Dzeko will continue up top. Martinez has been the primary goal-getter for the visitors this season and will look to add to his tally of seven Serie A goals here.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Onana; Skriniar, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Calhanoglu, Dimarco; Dzeko, Martinez
Key Stats
- Inter Milan are unbeaten in their last seven matches against Atalanta in all competitions.
- Inter have lost four of their seven away Serie A matches.
- Inter’s 20 away goals shipped is the second-worst record in the division, but only table-toppers Napoli have netted more than their 31 strikes, with six of their last nine appearances containing at least three goals.
- Inter Milan have an impeccable record against Atalanta, having won 20 of the past 40 meetings, compared to Atalanta’s seven wins.
- Atalanta have lost their last two home league games against Lazio and Napoli, and they might suffer three consecutive league defeats at home for the first time since 1997.
Player to Watch
Ademola Lookman
The 25-year-old is proving to be one of the best signings of the season, as he has scored several clutch goals for Atalanta in their top-four hunt. The former Leicester City attacker is continuing to impress in Italy and is enjoying some of the best football of his career, scoring six goals and providing a further three assists in his 14 Serie A appearances so far.
Lookman’s latest goal came in the 2-1 defeat against league leaders Napoli, and he will be looking to get on the scoresheet against Inter. The hosts missed him after he did not start the game last time out against Lecce. Surely, Atalanta will rely on him to shine throughout the season.
Prediction
Atalanta 2-2 Inter Milan
With both teams entering this game with the same number of points, this could be an intriguing game for various reasons. Inter are clearly in much better form among the two teams, winning five of their last six games, while Atalanta have lost three of their last four. The visitors also have a better-quality roster but have been really disappointing on the road recently.
But again, this is not the same Atalanta side from last season. They are tough to break down, and they are incredibly tenacious and resilient at the back. On the flip side, they really can hurt Inter’s weak defence on the break thanks to Ademola Lookman’s pace in behind, intricate transitional play, and midfield runners making late runs into the box.
It is tough to predict who will come out on top here on the final day of Serie A action before the winter break, as there is very little to separate the two sides. So, The Hard Tackle predicts an entertaining 2-2 draw, with both sides sharing the honours.
