Scudetto Playoff: Numbers Say Inter But Atalanta Bets on Gewiss Factor
The Milanese are coming off seven consecutive victories over the Bergamo team who have not won the A4 derby since 2018. Gasp and his team, however, are coming off a poker against Juve and are confident in the stadium factor, sold out for tomorrow night's match
Gianpiero Gasperini, Atalanta coach
Bergamo, March 15, 2025 - Tomorrow evening at 20.45 pm Atalanta and Inter they face each other in a real championship play-off. The challenge may not be decisive yet, because there will still be 27 points up for grabs, but the Lombard derby, all tinged with black and blue, is a fundamental crossroads in the race for the Scudetto.
Goddess third at 58 points, Internazionale tops the table at 61, in the middle at 60 points Napoli, a third wheel who has an easy round on the pitch of Venezia. A draw would keep everything unchanged for the two Nerazzurri teams, an Atalanta victory would launch the sprint of the Bergamo team, already galvanized by the resounding 4-0 handed to Juventus last Sunday, while an away win by Inter would give Milan a six-point advantage over the Orobic side.
Previous
Recent precedents that are highly favorable to theInter, undefeated in 12 games against Atalanta (the Nerazzurri's last success was a 4-1 home win in November 2018, when Spalletti was on the Inter bench) and even in an open streak of seven consecutive ones since November 2022.
In nine clashes between Gasperini and Inzaghi, only two draws, in the 2021-22 season, then seven Inter victories, the last two in 2024 both 4-0, both at the Meazza.
Gewiss Factor
But this time the game is played in the chaos of Gewiss sold out and Atalanta, decimated by absences in the first leg and coming off a revolutionary transfer market in the last days of August, is a bulldozer that has lost only one league game in the last six months, which hasn't conceded a goal in five games consecutive and has scored 16 in the last month and a half.
Attacking midfielder or trident
Gasperini, who does not have Cuadrado, Posch and Sulemana (all reserves), will field the standard formation with Carnesecchi in goal, a defensive trio with Djimsiti and Kolasinac as wing-backs and Hien as centre-back, a midfield with the De Roon-Ederson pincer, external lanes with the former Bellanova and Zappacosta and up front, probably, the formation with the attacking midfielder, with Pasalic behind the bombers Retegui e Lookman, 35 goals between the two in the league. The alternative is the classic trident with The Ketelaere instead of Croatian.
Inter with De Vrij with an inflamed knee, without By Marco, Darmian, Zalewski e Zielinski. Inzaghi, with Sommer between the posts, will have the defensive trio of Pavard, Acerbi and the former Bastoni, then Dumfries and Carlos Augusto on the wings, in the middle the usual Barella, Calhanoglu and Mkhitaryan, with the offensive tandem formed by Lautaro and Thuram.
Probable lineups
ATALANTA (3-4-2-1): Carnesecchi; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac; Bellanova, de Roon, Ederson, Zappacosta; Pasalic, Lookman; Retegui. Coach. Gasperini.
INTER (3-5-2): Summer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Carlos Augusto; Lautaro, Thuram. Coach Inzaghi.
In TV
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