The Serie A season is hurtling towards its climax. Although Inter Milan secured the Scudetto in dominant fashion, the battle for European glory is white-hot. With the potential for five Champions League spots up for grabs, the stakes are high for Roma as they journey to Bergamo to take on Atalanta.
Here, we provide an Atalanta vs AS Roma preview, and a prediction of what result may be produced.
This fixture could have been a mouthwatering Europa League final preview, with Atalanta crushing Marseille 4-1 on aggregate in their semi-final. However, Roma's dream of an all-Italian final was shattered by an unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen. Despite a valiant fightback orchestrated by Daniele De Rossi's men, two late goals from the German side extinguished their hopes.
Quick stats
Ademola Lookman’s Atalanta have lost just one in the last five, but a few cumbersome draws in their last few games have prevented them from breaching that elusive top four.
AS Roma have failed to keep a clean sheet in five of their previous six outings across all competitions.
This season in the Series A, Atalanta's form is decent overall with 18 wins, six draws, and 10 losses. This performance currently places Lookman's Atalanta in fifth-place on the 20-team Serie A table, with a 53% win-rate.
This season, Roma have had a fairly good return with 17 wins, nine draws, and nine losses. They are currently sixth on the table, winning 49% of their league matches.
Atalanta vs AS Roma preview
Atalanta secured their place in a historic first UEFA Europa League final with a dominant 4-1 aggregate victory over Marseille. Following a 1-1 draw in France, the Bergamaschi roared back at the Gewiss Stadium with goals from Ademola Lookman, Matteo Ruggeri, and El Bilal Toure.
This dominant home record bodes well for their upcoming challenges. Atalanta have a remarkable record in Bergamo throughout the Europa League and its predecessor, the UEFA Cup, losing just two of their last 18 home games. They've even kept nine clean sheets during that stretch. Manager Gian Piero Gasperini will be hoping to continue this success as he chases a potential double – the Europa League trophy in Dublin and the Coppa Italia title against Juventus later this month.
However, Gasperini has little time to celebrate. Atalanta also find themselves in the thick of the race for Champions League qualification in the league. A thrilling 2-1 comeback win over Salernitana has them sitting in fifth-place with four games remaining. Five Serie A spots are up for grabs this season, and with a game in hand on most rivals, Atalanta control their own destiny.
At home, Atalanta have been a force to be reckoned with, taking 35 points from 16 matches and winning 11. While they historically struggle against fellow top-six teams, they boast a recent record of three wins from their last four league games against Roma in Bergamo.
Roma, meanwhile, arrive in Bergamo wounded but not out. Despite a heartbreaking defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League semi-finals, they remain locked on points with Atalanta in the Serie A standings, albeit having played one more game. Their recent away form has been impressive under manager Daniele De Rossi, with an unbeaten run stretching across seven Serie A away matches.
With Champions League qualification now potentially achievable through a Europa League win, Atalanta can afford a sixth-place finish. However, Roma need a strong finish with three straight wins to secure their return to Europe's top table. A draw against Juventus last week, despite taking the lead through Romelu Lukaku, exposed some vulnerabilities.
The battle between these two sides promises to be a tense affair. Lookman, in top form for Atalanta, has notched nine goals and six assists in the Serie A this season. Roma will need to find a way to contain him if they're to snatch a crucial victory and reignite their UEFA Champions League hopes.
Atalanta vs AS Roma H2H, Last 10 games
Jan 2024: AS Roma 1-1 Atalanta
Apr 2023: Atalanta 3-1 AS Roma
Sep 2022: AS Roma 0-1 Atalanta
Mar 2022 AS Roma 1-0 Atalanta
Dec 2021: Atalanta 1-4 AS Roma
Apr 2021: AS Roma 1-1 Atalanta
Dec 2020: Atalanta 4-1 AS Roma
Feb 2020 Atalanta 2-1 AS Roma
Sep 2019: AS Roma 0-2 Atalanta
Jan 2019: Atalanta 3-3 AS Roma
Atalanta vs AS Roma prediction
Overall, the game will go a long way in deciding who makes the Champions League this season but Atalanta’s thin squad and busy schedule may prove costly despite having home advantage.
Roma have been inconsistent on the road, but knowing their campaign is almost over, their players will look to impress De Rossi throughout these final few games in order to be in his plans for next season. We think Roma sneak a win in Bergamo in this one.
Atalanta vs AS Roma confirmed XI
Atalanta BC confirmed starting lineup:
Carnesecchi; De Roon, Hien, Djimsiti; Hateboer, Ederson, Pasalic, Ruggeri; Koopmeiners, De Ketelaere; Scamacca
Roma confirmed starting lineup:
Svilar; Kristiansen, Mancini, Ndicka, Angelino; Cristante, Paredes, Pellegrini; Baldanzi, Lukaku, El Shaarawy
