Atalanta vs Lazio

The stakes are high for Atalanta and Lazio as their hopes of securing Champions League qualification are on the line ahead of their mouth-watering Serie A showdown at the Gewiss Stadium.

Vying for a first top-four finish in three years, fourth-placed Atalanta commence this round two points clear of visiting Lazio after a brace of emphatic wins against Udinese and Salernitana via a combined score of 7-0. Indeed, Gian Piero Gasperini’s men come into proceedings amidst a purple patch, having racked up eight victories across their last ten competitive outings (D1, L1) en route to reaching the Coppa Italia semi-finals and progressing into the Europa League knockouts. A feverish atmosphere at the Gewiss Stadium can inspire more confidence around La Dea’s camp, with Atalanta going from strength to strength in their 11 Serie A matches here this season (W8, D2, L1). Virtually unstoppable in the front third, Atalanta’s eye-catching tally of 24 home league goals is only second to Inter Milan’s 25, with Gasperini’s side bagging 2+ goals in seven of those 11 games.

In contrast to Atalanta’s free-scoring form, goals have been at a premium for Lazio, who played out a dull 0-0 draw against reigning Serie A champions Napoli last weekend. Maurizio Sarri’s troops have drawn a blank in back-to-back matches ahead of this fixture after netting precisely one goal in two outings prior. Among the sides residing in the upper half of the standings at the start of this round, only 10th-placed Torino’s 20-goal haul is worse than Lazio’s dismal 24 goals from 21 games. Against this backdrop, the visitors have scored precisely twice on their last two Serie A travels to beat Empoli and Udinese following a disheartening three-game winless away league run beforehand (D1, L2). Interestingly, Bergamo has lately been a happy hunting ground for ‘I Biancocelesti’ as they’ve picked up points on their last three Serie A visits (W2, D1).