Atalanta vs Roma

The two sides to have experienced contrasting fortunes in midweek Europa League action lock horns at the Gewiss Stadium as Atalanta take on Roma in a Serie A top-five six-pointer.

Atalanta made history in midweek, beating Marseille 3-0 in the return leg of their Europa League semi-final tie to advance into their first major European final. Gian Piero Gasperini’s men have gone from strength to strength since a 1-0 home loss to Liverpool in the Europa League quarter-finals, stringing together an eye-catching six-match unbeaten run in all competitions (W5, D2). A 4-1 home demolition of Fiorentina in that sequence saw ‘La Dea’ reach the Coppa Italia showpiece, and this will be a dress rehearsal for next week’s final against Juventus. Gasperini’s high-flyers have traditionally fared well in this fixture, beating Roma in three of their last four Serie A H2Hs in Bergamo (L1) despite conceding on each occasion.

In the meantime, Roma made a valiant attempt to overhaul a 2-0 first-leg deficit in their Europa League semi-final tie against Bayer Leverkusen but wasted a two-goal cushion in a dramatic 2-2 draw in Germany. After crashing out of Europe, they must secure a top-five finish in Serie A to return to the Champions League after a seven-year absence. Though level on points with fifth-placed Atalanta at the start of this round, they’ve played a game more, meaning anything other than a win could end their Champions League aspirations. Leaving the capital could be a blessing in disguise for Daniele De Rossi’s side, as they’ve not lost any of their last five competitive away matches (W2, D3). Scoring first would significantly increase Roma’s chances of taking three points in Bergamo, considering they’ve not lost any of their 19 Serie A games after breaking the deadlock this term (W14, D5).