Atalanta BC, whose winning streak came to an abrupt halt in midweek, will aim to defeat the Italian champions when Napoli visit Bergamo on Sunday.

Both teams are aiming for a top-four finish Serie AHowever, La Dea could soon join the struggling Partenopei from Europe.

match preview

Atalanta suffered another setback in the Champions League on Tuesday night when they lost the first leg of the play-offs, after missing out on a direct place into the last 16 by losing their last two league games.

Already behind within the first three minutes, the Nerazzurri lost 2-0 to Borussia Dortmund, leaving them with a mountain to climb in their return match next week.

Until then, they had won three consecutive games in all competitions, defeated Juventus 3-0 to advance to the Coppa Italia semi-finals, and continued to make strides. Serie A standings.

Atalanta, one of Italy’s leading clubs, remains unbeaten domestically in 2026 thanks to seven wins and two draws, and last weekend they defeated Lazio 2-0 in Rome.

Coach Raffaele Palladino has increased his team’s points tally to 20 this season, the second highest after league leaders Inter Milan.

Also, La Dea, who have won four consecutive Serie A home matches, will look to continue that form this weekend, which could lead to some interesting matches.

Atalanta and Napoli have both scored in the last six meetings in Bergamo, averaging four goals per game.

Once just one point behind, Napoli now lead La Dea by just eight points and have been out of title contention since lifting the Supercoppa Italiana at the end of December.

They sit in third place, 11 points behind Inter, and although their defense of the Scudetto is almost over, they have recently been eliminated from both the Champions League and Coppa Italia.

Securing a top-four finish is therefore Partenopei’s main goal, with several other teams chasing this.

Last week, they held one of these clubs at arm’s length at the Stadio Maradona, extending their unbeaten run in Serie A thanks to Alison Santos’ late equalizer in the Derby del Sole against Roma.

However, the team remains reeling after coach Antonio Conte’s injury. Napoli have conceded eight goals in their last four league games, but only seven in their last 10.

Additionally, they have not kept a clean sheet in seven games in all competitions, and defensive mistakes are becoming more frequent. For example, they have conceded the most penalties in Serie A this season (6 goals out of 8 conceded), following Donyell Malen’s spot-kick last Sunday.

However, Conte tends to bring out the best in his men when facing tough opponents. In the current fixtures between the top seven, only Milan have more points than Napoli’s 15, with Atalanta having just seven.

One such encounter was a 3-1 victory over Maradona in a come-from-behind match in November, while the southern side have also won the last four visits to Bergamo.

Atalanta BC Serie A form:

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Atalanta BC form (all competitions):

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Napoli Serie A form:

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Napoli form (all competitions):

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team news

Atalanta have endured a difficult week since their defeat to Lazio, following their heavy defeat at Dortmund, which came just after ex-Napoli player Giacomo Raspadori was out for a month with a flexor injury.

Main creator Charles de Quetelaer was already sidelined with a knee problem, but Palladino has an otherwise fully fit squad to choose from.

If changes are made during the Champions League play-off leg, Nikola Krstovic could replace fellow striker Gianluca Scamacca, who has scored in both of the last two games against Napoli.

Krstovic is La Dea’s top marksman in Serie A, while Napoli’s Rasmus Hoylund is one goal behind with eight league goals this season.

Scott McTominay, another goal source, remains doubtful after suffering a tendon problem, so Eljif Elmas may have to take his place again. Elzif Elmas has scored three goals in his last three visits to Bergamo.

Conte is still without long-term absentees Kevin De Bruyne and Franck Anguissa, as well as captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo and winger David Neres, while defensive rock Amir Rahmani has just picked up a thigh injury and could be out until April.

In that context, Juan Jesus’ return from suspension is timely, with the Brazilian slotting squarely into an ever-changing defence.

Atalanta BC’s projected starting lineup:

Carne secchi. Scalvini, Hien, Ahanor. Bellanova, Ederson, de Roon, Zappacosta. Slemana, Zalewski. Krustovic

Napoli’s projected starting lineup:

Milinkovic-Savic. Buukema, Jesus, Bongiorno. Gutierrez, Lobotka, Hermas, Spinazzola. Vergara, Alison. Hoylund

Atalanta BC 1-1 Napoli

Atalanta probably need points more than Napoli but could be distracted by Wednesday’s big European clash.

Even with so many absences, Conte and co could depart with a draw, as the Scudetto holders usually put up a good fight against the other top-four contenders.

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