Saturday’s Serie A action caps off at Giuseppe Meazza with a tasty-looking encounter between fierce top-four rivals Inter and Atalanta. While the hosts already have one foot in next season’s Champions League, the visitors must win to push their bid to leapfrog fourth-placed Milan until the day.
Even though Napoli knocked Inter down from an eight-game winning run in all competitions last weekend with a 3-1 home victory, Simone Inzaghi’s men seem destined for a sixth consecutive top-four finish. Six points clear of fifth-placed Roma, the Nerazzurri need one point in the last two rounds to mathematically secure next season’s Champions League berth.
Inzaghi quickly rallied his troops following last Sunday’s fiasco at the Diego Maradona Stadium, as Inter came from an early deficit to beat Fiorentina 2-1 in Wednesday’s Coppa Italia final. Lautaro Martinez’s quick-fire first-half double inspired the Nerazzurri to a second consecutive cup title, bolstering their spirits ahead of the upcoming Champions League title decider against perennial Premier League champions Manchester City.
Atalanta will hope fresh legs could give them some advantage on Saturday. Unlike Inter, they’ve had a week to rest and recover following last weekend’s come-from-behind 3-1 home triumph over relegation-threatened Hellas Verona. Gian Piero Gasperini’s team arrested a two-game losing league streak, but they must defy the odds at Meazza to keep their top-four dream alive.
With fourth-placed Milan two points away going into the penultimate round of fixtures, La Dea must also pray the Rossoneri won’t beat Juventus in Turin on Sunday. Yet, holding up their end of the bargain is essential, but after losing five of their last eight league visits to Inter (D3), it will be easier said than done.
Match Preview
Inter
Following an abysmal run of three home league losses ‘to nil’ between mid-March and early April, Inter have rebuilt their fortress, racking up four wins and a draw in their last five competitive outings at Meazza. Goals were raining down in that sequence, with the Nerazzurri netting three or more in three of those five matches, highlighting the potential for a goal-glutted affair.
Inspired by an eye-catching recent resurgence, Inter are looking to complete their first league double over Atalanta since 2014/15 after an action-packed 3-2 win in the reverse fixture in Bergamo. Conceding first could throw a spanner in the works, as Inzaghi’s men have suffered four defeats in six home league games after falling behind this season (W2).
Player to Watch: Romelu Lukaku
It’s been an injury-plagued season for Lukaku. However, the Belgian striker has hit a rich vein of form down the final stretch, tallying an impressive six goals and three assists in his last five league appearances. Maintaining that form could be key to convincing Inzaghi to include him in the starting lineup against Man City.
Atalanta
A gut-wrenching 1-0 loss at Salernitana on their last Serie A travel ended the visitors’ three-game unbeaten league form on hostile turf (W2, D1). Atalanta have already lost back-to-back away league matches in 2023, and they could replicate that feat unless they find a recipe to address their scoring woes at Meazza. Gasperini’s men have drawn a blank in five of their last eight top-flight visits to Inter.
That alone could be enough to dampen their spirits, yet there’s a more pressing matter they must deal with as soon as possible. Atalanta’s defensive frailties have seen them go six consecutive away league outings without a clean sheet. If it’s any consolation, they conceded precisely one goal four times in that period. They last experienced a longer wait for a shutout outside the Gewiss Stadium in October 2020 (eight).
Player to Watch: Rasmus Hojlund
Hojlund hammered the final nail in Verona’s coffin last weekend to halt a six-game scoring drought in Serie A, taking his tally for the season to eight goals. With a dozen of Europe’s elite clubs monitoring his progress at Atalanta, he’ll probably be under the spotlight on Saturday.
Team News
In addition to long-term absentees Dalbert and Milan Skriniar, Inter will be without Joaquin Correa, who picked up an injury against Napoli. Roberto Gagliardini received a red card in that match and will have to remain in the stands.
On the other hand, Atalanta will take this trip severely crippled by injuries. Hans Hateboer, Jose Luis Palomino, Matteo Ruggeri, and Brandon Soppy are on the sidelines. There are still question marks over the heads of Duvan Zapata and Jeremie Boga, highlighting Gasperini’s selection nightmare.
Inter vs Atalanta Potential Lineups
Inter (3-5-2): Andre Onana; Matteo Darmian, Stefan de Vrij, Francesco Acerbi; Denzel Dumfries, Nicolo Barella, Marcelo Brozovic, Hakan Calhanoglu, Robin Gosens; Lautaro Martinez, Romelu Lukaku.
Atalanta (3-4-1-2): Marco Sportiello; Rafael Toloi, Berat Djimsiti, Giorgio Scalvini; Davide Zappacosta, Marten de Roon, Teun Koopmeiners, Joakim Maehle; Mario Pasalic; Ademola Lookman, Rasmus Hojlund.
Inter vs Atalanta Prediction
As the league’s joint-best home team with 13 wins, Inter will relish their prospects against inconsistent Atalanta. Bringing their outstanding home record against La Dea into the equation, all signs are pointing to the hosts’ victory.
Prediction: Inter Win
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