Four matches of the 32nd round of Italian Seire A will be played on Saturday and definitely the most interesting of them is one between 8th-placed Atalanta and 5th-positioned Inter, which currently has 11 points more. Both teams are in sort of crisis as they won by just one point from two previous rounds. We need to add that their head-to-head played in Milan last autumn had ended as Inter victory of 2-0.
Atalanta won Inter 2-1 at home last year and its fans believe that it can make a positive result now against the guests from Milano. On top of it, if Atalanta succeed it would again join the race for the sixth place that is last to lead to the Europa Leauge which at the moment occupies Milan that has four points more. However, team led by manager Gasperini had missed chances in two previous rounds to close in on them, as they lost to Sampdoria at home and merely drew with SPAL 1-1 away.
In the last round young forward Petagna had earned the fifth yellow card and he will skip Saturday’s match with Inter, which means that Argentinian Gomez automatically gets place in the top of attack besides Dane Cornelius as from before is out of action excellent Slovenian Ilicic, who is injured, while besides him on the list of injured players is stopper Caldara and midfielders Rizzo and Spinazzola.
Probable lineups Atalanta Bergamo: Berisha – Toloi, Palomino, Masiello – Hateboer, de Roon, Freuler, Gosens – Cristante – Cornelius, Gomez
Saturday’s match with always tough Atalanta comes for Inter after they lost last weekend to Torino away 1-0, which at the same time put an end to their five-game unbeaten streak of three wins and two draws. Besides, defeat by Torino had cost them loss of fourth place in the Serie A table, although they still have just one point fewer than 3rd-placed Lazio and 4th-positiond Roma, meaning they are still in the race for the Champions League.
However, manager Spaletti is definitely worried by pale performance of his players in match with Torino, especially as before that they played much better in the city derby with Milan when only bit of lack was needed to win all three points. Regarding problems with absences, midfielder Brozovic collected fifth yellow card and cannot play now against Atalanta, just like not sufficiently recovered midfielder Vecino.
Probable lineups Inter Milan: Handanovic – Cancelo, Skriniar, Miranda, D'Ambrosio – Gagliardini, Valero – Candreva, Rafinha, Perisic – Icardi
Given that Atalanta is still in the race for the Europa League and that just one point separates Inter from positions that lead to the Champions League, it is clear that we should expect fully open match and by that goals on both sides.