Serie A Preview: Atalanta vs Inter – Team News, Lineups & Prediction | OneFootball

Gewiss Stadium sets the stage for a high-stakes Serie A showdown between familiar foes Atalanta and Inter. Sunday night’s encounter in Bergamo serves as the final league game of 2025 for both teams.

Atalanta’s late-year renaissance has reinforced the team’s confidence ahead of Inter’s visit. Heading into proceedings on the back of three consecutive wins in all competitions, La Dea will take the field in high spirits, looking to whittle down an eight-point deficit to fourth-placed Roma.

Raffaele Palladino’s side sneaked into the win column against a 10-men Genoa last weekend, as Isak Hien’s 95th-minute header inspired them to a 1-0 victory at Stadio Luigi Ferraris. However, this is a highly unfavorable matchup for the home side, whose last win over Inter dates back to November 2018.

Indeed, the visitors have won their last eight meetings with Atalanta, including a comfortable 2-0 triumph in this corresponding fixture in March. That must be encouraging from Cristian Chivu’s point of view after Bologna denied him a chance to win his first piece of silverware as Inter manager in last Friday’s Supercoppa Italiana showdwon.

Vincenzo Italiano’s side came out on top of a dramatic penalty shootout in Riyadh, knocking them out in the semi-finals. Despite that mental setback, Inter can draw confidence from their scintillating three-game winning streak in Serie A that has fired them to the top of the table, moving them one point clear of fierce rivals Milan.

Match Preview

Atalanta

Marooned in mid-table, Atalanta could finish the calendar year on a strong note, having won six of their last seven outings across all competitions (L1). Maintaining that run with another triumph would see them finish 2025 in the upper half of the table. That’s largely thanks to Palladino.

Atalanta have yet to draw a blank in eight matches since the former Fiorentina manager arrived at the helm (W6, L2). La Dea’s newfound scoring prowess has seen them find the net precisely twice in their last two home league matches (W2), putting them on the brink of three consecutive home wins in Serie A for the first time in almost a year.

However, the hosts face a stern test here, as they’ve failed to beat Inter in their last 15 clashes in all competitions (D5, L10), higlighting the magnitude of the task awaiting them on Sunday. Nonetheless, an exciting first half could be on the cards, considering Atalanta’s last three home league games have featured exactly one goal before halftime.

Inter

Despite sitting at the top of the table, Inter cannot rest on their laurels, with only four points separating the top four teams ahead of this round. However, they are enjoying a rich vein of form, winning ten of their last 12 Serie A fixtures (L2), including a nerve-shredding 2-1 victory at Genoa on their most recent top-flight travel.

That result extended Inter’s winning away streak in Serie A to three games, taking their overall points tally on the road to a league-high 15. Three successive league wins in Bergamo paint an even more promising picture for the visiting fans, who are desperate to see their side bounce back from a disappointing Supercoppa showing.

It’s also worth noting that Inter finished the last matchday as Serie A’s best first-half performers. Indeed, they’ve been trailing at halftime in just three of their 15 league matches this season (W8, D4), underscoring their ability to seize control.

Team News

Atalanta will be without several first-team stars, including Africa Cup of Nations participants Ademola Lookman and Odilon Kousounou. Meanwhile, Raoul Bellanova and Mitchel Bakker are sidelined with injuries, meaning Lorenzo Bernasconi and Davide Zappacosta are likely to operate on the flanks.

On the other hand, French striker Ange-Yoan Bonny has joined Francesco Acerbi, Matteo Darmian, and Raffaele Di Gregorio in the pits. However, talismanic midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu has recovered from a minor injury problem and will likely reclaim his place in the startinng XI at the expense of Piotr Zielinski.

Atalanta vs Inter Potential Starting Lineups

Atalanta (3-4-2-1): Carnesecchi; De Roon, Hien, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, Musah, Ederson, Bernasconi; De Ketelaere, Samardzic; Scamacca.

Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Akanji, Bisseck, Bastoni; Henrique, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez.

Atalanta vs Inter Prediction

Atalanta’s form resurgence makes them a tougher proposition than earlier in the season, but Inter’s dominance in this fixture and superior consistency should ultimately prevail.