Atalanta-Monza is a Serie A Week 38 match to be played on Sunday at 21:00: fixtures, predictions, TV and streaming.
In the rich programme of the last day there is also room for a Lombardy derby that makes sense almost exclusively for Atalanta, called to consolidate the fifth place in the standings and thus hit the qualification for the next Europa League.
The team coached by Gian Piero Gasperini failed to hook the last of the Champions places a week ago in San Siro, surrendering 3-2 to Inter in a match decided practically already in the first three minutes of the game by the deadly one-two of Lukaku and Barella. The reaction from Bergamo was delayed, but it was not enough to avoid the third defeat in the last four matches. The Dea will therefore have to be content with the so-called ‘minor’ Europe, however a good goal if we consider that last year they failed to qualify for any international competition. Whether it will be Europa League or Conference League will only be known at the end of this day. Atalanta, compared to Roma and Juventus, who have respectively one and two points less than the Nerazzurri, are masters of their own destiny. In the event of a success over fellow countrymen Monza, they will be certain to finish fifth.
La Dea must defend fifth place
In any case, the knot regarding the coach remains to be untied. Gasperini has said he will speak to the club in due course, but a resounding farewell cannot be ruled out
Palladino
Who instead has just renewed his contract with the Brianza club for another season is Raffaele Palladino, the main architect of Monza’s great season, which, as a newly promoted team, has even exceeded the 50-point mark – today the “biancorossi” have 52 – and could end up on the left side of the table: a historic placement for a team that had never played in the top division before this year. Nothing doing for that eighth place that in the event of Juventus’ disqualification by Uefa could be worth Europe: Fiorentina’s victory in the early match against Sassuolo has made it unattainable even if Pessina and his companions should defeat the Gewiss Stadium. Last Sunday, in fact, Monza’s eight-game winning streak came to an end: Lecce’s hunger for points allowed the Salentini to win in the second half thanks to a penalty kick by Colombo (0-1) and celebrate their salvation one round ahead of time.
Atalanta-Monza: the latest line-up news
Infermeria always full for Gasperini. In addition to Boga – who is struggling with an ankle problem and is doubtful for the Monza game – Gasperini will also have to do without Soppy, Zapata, Hateboer, Ruggeri and Palomino. Up front, the Nerazzurri coach should dust off the attacking pair that did so well in the first part of the season, Lookman-Hojlund.
Despite the missed penalty and the foul of hands that caused the penalty against Lecce, Palladino plans to give another chance to Gytkjaer, supported by Mota and Caprari on the three-quarter. In goal, Cragno will get his chance, in midfield it is a Rovella-Sensi duel.
The prediction
Atalanta have won three of their last four home games, in which only on one occasion have they seen fewer than three goals. It is fair to expect a success for La Dea, who compared to Monza still have something to play for, in a match with at least three goals in total.
The probable line-ups of Atalanta-Monza
- ATALANTA (3-4-1-2): Sportiello; Toloi, Djimsiti, Scalvini; Maehle, de Roon, Koopmeiners, Zappacosta; Pasalic; Lookman, Højlund.
- MONZA (3-4-2-1): Cragno; Izzo, Pablo Marì, Caldirola; Ciurria, Pessina, Rovella, Carlos Augusto; Caprari, Mota; Gytkjaer.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-1
