Having wrapped up another top-four finish last week, Atalanta BC can afford to take their foot off the gas when they visit Genoa for Saturday's sole Serie A fixture.

With two games to go, every other match has something riding on it, but La Dea cannot be caught in third place and their hosts sit safely in mid-table.

Match preview

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Halting Roma's charge towards the top four, while securing their own place among Italy's top quartet, Atalanta beat the Giallorossi 2-1 last time out, thanks to goals in either half from Ademola Lookman and unlikely matchwinner Ibrahim Sulemana.

The latter - a little-used midfielder - emerged from the bench to fire home the decider on Monday evening, as La Dea finally confirmed third spot.

Now seven points clear of Juventus and Lazio with just two rounds remaining, Atalanta have won four of their last five - as many as throughout the previous 14 league games combined - and that surge has sewn up a return to the Champions League for Serie A's serial overachievers.

Still in the Scudetto race until last month, the Bergamo club may have faltered in 2025, but last year's Europa League winners continue to punch above their weight under Gian Piero Gasperini.

It has been a golden era since Gasperini took charge nearly nine years ago, but - like Lookman and others - the veteran coach has hinted he may soon depart, prompting a potential summer of change.

Before wrapping up another successful season with a home game against Parma, 'Gasp' first returns to Genoa, where he spent several years across two spells as head coach.

For all their flaws, his current team have conceded the fewest goals (11) and kept the most clean sheets (11) away from home in Europe's top five leagues this term, so they head for Stadio Ferraris intending to continue their recent dominance.

Atalanta have scored nine times across their last two meetings with Genoa, in addition to winning six of the clubs' last eight contests in Liguria.

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Following a 5-1 loss in October's reverse fixture, Saturday's hosts have won just one of their last 16 Serie A matches against Atalanta, losing 11 and conceding goals at an average of 2.3 per game.

Yet, they will welcome La Dea to the Ferraris with some confidence on this occasion, having just held the league leaders and title favourites to a 2-2 draw.

Trailing with six minutes of the 90 to go, Johan Vasquez snatched a point by planting his header from Aaron Martin's superb cross past Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret, spoiling the mood in Naples, where they are anticipating a second Scudetto in three seasons.

Consigned to an unusual substitute role at Stadio Maradona, Martin still made an impact from the bench, and the Spanish full-back's tally of six Serie A assists this season is the joint-most of any Genoa player for a decade.

Having initially surged away from danger when Patrick Vieira was appointed head coach in November, hopes of a possible top-half finish have since been extinguished; long safe from relegation, they now have little left to play for.

After winning five times during a run of six home games without defeat, the Grifone have lost both of their last two as hosts - to Lazio and AC Milan. The last time they lost three consecutive top-flight home games was back in 2021, and they will be keen to avoid that fate this weekend.

Team News

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Though Stefan Posch and Rafael Toloi are both sidelined - while Berat Djimsiti serves a one-match ban, and fellow defenders Sead Kolasinac and Giorgio Scalvini will not be back until next season - Atalanta can recall Isak Hien on Saturday night, as the Swedish centre-back returns from suspension.

Captain Marten de Roon deputised in defence against Roma, and he may be required to do so again, opening up a chance for Mario Pasalic or last week's hero Ibrahim Sulemana to start alongside Ederson in midfield.

Backed by Charles De Ketelaere and Ademola Lookman, Mateo Retegui should start up front. On track to be crowned Capocannoniere, the ex-Genoa striker has scored 24 Serie A goals this season and needs just one more to break Pippo Inzaghi's club record. Incidentally, 10 have come with his right foot and nine with his left: only Alessandro Del Piero (in 2007-08) has reached double figures with both feet in a single Serie A season since 2006.

Retegui's former club will be without Fabio Miretti, Alan Matturro, Ruslan Malinovskyi and Maxwel Cornet. In better news for Patrick Vieira, Caleb Ekuban has been passed fit and versatile midfielder Morten Thorsby is back in the fold after serving a suspension.

Top scorer Andrea Pinamonti has not found the net in 11 matches, representing his longest league drought in a single season for five years, but he will still lead the Rossoblu's attack.

Genoa possible starting lineup:
Siegrist; Sabelli, De Winter, Vasquez, Martin; Frendrup, Masini; Norton-Cuffy, Messias, Thorsby; Pinamonti

Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Carnesecchi; De Roon, Hien, Kossounou; Bellanova, Ederson, Sulemana, Ruggeri; De Ketelaere, Lookman; Retegui

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We say: Genoa 1-3 Atalanta BC

No team have scored fewer first-half goals than Genoa throughout Europe's top five leagues this term (eight), and they tend to start slowly.

Meanwhile, only Inter Milan have netted more often than away-day specialists Atalanta (36) before the break, so La Dea could be out of sight by half time.


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Written by
Jonathan O'Shea

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