In the crisp autumn air of Bergamo, Atalanta welcomes Como to the Gewiss Stadium for a Serie A fixture that's already stirring up the league's mid-table tensions. The match kicks off at 6:45 p.m. local time, and with both sides nursing uneven starts to the season, expect a gritty affair. Atalanta, still smarting from their 2-1 Champions League win over Club Brugge midweek, will lean on their home form to claw back points. Como, meanwhile, arrives with a road warrior's edge, having netted in each of their last five away games despite a shaky defense.
Indeed, the reverse fixture last September lingers like a bad memory for the Nerazzurri—a 3-2 defeat at Como's Sinigaglia Stadium that exposed defensive lapses under Gian Piero Gasperini. That night, Como's opportunistic strikes turned the game, with Atalanta's late push falling short. Now, a year on, Gasperini has tinkered with his lineup, rotating midfield to keep legs fresh after Europe's demands. Players like Ademola Lookman and Mateo Retegui will be key, their pace troubling Como's backline, which has conceded an average of 1.8 goals per match this campaign.
However, Como isn't just punching above their weight; they're thriving under Cesc Fàbregas's guidance. The former Arsenal man has instilled a fluid attack, with Gabriel Strefezza leading the line after bagging four goals already. Moreover, their recent draw against Lazio showed resilience, even if it masked underlying frailties. Atalanta's fans, packed into the stands, will demand a response—anything less than victory could widen the gap to the top four, now sitting at seven points adrift.
Still, predictions swirl around a tight contest. Flash analysis suggests Atalanta's win probability hovers at 58%, but Como's counter-threat could flip the script. Injuries sideline Atalanta's Berat Djimsiti with a hamstring tweak, while Como misses no major names. As the whistle nears, one wonders if Gasperini's tactical nous will finally silence the doubters, or if Como's underdog spirit sparks another upset.