Atalanta’s bid for a first Serie A title will come in for a huge test Saturday when the plucky provincial upstarts host league leaders Napoli, while Inter Milan lurk in an intriguing three-way Scudetto battle.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s side are unbeaten in 15 league matches but three consecutive draws have left the ambitious outfit from Bergamo four points behind Napoli ahead of this weekend’s big match at the Gewiss Stadium.
Napoli’s visit comes after Atalanta were held to a 1-1 draw by Juventus on Tuesday night, a brilliant match but disappointing result which leaves an unprecedented challenge for a league crown somewhat in the balance.
Gasperini admitted after the Juve draw that Atalanta’s Scudetto hopes had reached a “crossroads,” as defeat on Saturday night would leave Atalanta some way off the pace.
“We’re also at a crossroads in the Champions League, so if we’re going to aim for anything then let’s aim for that,” said Gasperini, whose team also face Sturm Graz and Barcelona in consecutive weeks.
A boost for Atalanta comes in the shape of Mateo Retegui who was back with a bang on Tuesday night, nodding home a classic poacher’s goal shortly after returning as a substitute from a hamstring injury.
The 25-year-old may start on the bench on Saturday but will be key for Atalanta as they try to both stay in touch with Napoli and get direct qualification to the last 16 of the Champions League.
Napoli meanwhile are on a run of five straight wins coming into the weekend, and Antonio Conte’s rebuild job has benefitted from his team having no midweek European football due to the disastrous nature of their title defense last season.
Conte has already mentally said goodbye to wing wizard and the star of Napoli’s historic third title Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who is set to move to Paris Saint-Germain in the January transfer window.
With Scudetto-winning coach Luciano Spalletti, Kim Min-jae, Victor Osimhen (albeit for now on loan), Piotr Zielinski and now Kvaratskhelia out of the picture, a new era has officially begun at Napoli.
Possibly the biggest threat to Conte winning Serie A with a third team is his former club Inter, although the reigning champions’ 2-2 draw with Bologna on Wednesday left them three points off the pace with a game in hand.
Inter have France striker Marcus Thuram back from injury for Sunday’s home clash with Empoli but will still be without midfield lynchpin Hakan Calhanoglu, whose absence was keenly felt both against Bologna and in last weekend’s narrow win at Venezia.
Player to watch: Randal Kolo MuaniFrance forward Kolo Muani could start Juventus’ home clash with AC Milan on Saturday after arriving in Turin on Wednesday to complete a loan move from Paris Saint-Germain in the hope of finding regular football.
Surplus to requirements at PSG, the 26-year-old is very much needed at fifth-placed Juve where injuries to Dusan Vlahovic and Arkadiusz Milik has left Thiago Motta’s draw specialists without a recognised striker for recent matches.
Kolo Muani has played just 453 minutes of football this season for PSG and was frozen out by coach Luis Enrique, but is expected to have a key role in Juve’s push for Champions League qualification.
Juve are three points ahead of seventh-placed Milan, who however have a game in hand at Bologna following that fixture’s postponement in October due to flooding.