AC Milan vs Atalanta

A fierce battle for a top-four Serie A finish is heating up as AC Milan and Atalanta go head-to-head in a mouth-watering fixture at Stadio San Siro.

Despite commencing this round in third, seven points clear of fifth-placed Atalanta, Milan can’t take anything for granted amid speculation linking long-serving manager Stefano Pioli with a summer exit. Pioli’s tactical gamble turned out bad last weekend as ‘I Rossoneri’ slumped to a 4-2 defeat at Monza, putting more pressure on the ex-Inter boss. Another dismal defensive performance in midweek Europa League action heightened the skepticism, with Milan losing 3-2 at Rennes in the return leg of their knockout playoff tie. But after progressing as 5-3 aggregate winners, the 19-time Serie A champions return to domestic duties hellbent on upholding a seven-game unbeaten league streak on their home turf (W6, D1) stretching to a 1-0 loss to Udinese in November.

If there’s a side capable of breaking Milan’s home fortress, it’s Atalanta. ‘La Dea’ came from behind to beat Milan 2-1 on this ground in Coppa Italia last month while claiming a pulsating 3-2 home triumph in the reverse fixture. Veteran coach Gian Piero Gasperini knows in-depth about upsetting the San Siro faithful, with Atalanta only losing two of their last ten competitive H2Hs here (W4, D4). As if that’s not encouraging enough, the visitors head into proceedings amidst a purple patch, having won their last five league games while averaging 3.4 goals per match. Maintaining that red-hot streak would see Atalanta register six successive top-flight wins for the first time since December 2021, not to mention strengthen their bid to return to the Champions League after a two-year hiatus.