In the midst of a turbulent transfer market, Atalanta kicked off their Serie A campaign with a victory and are now looking to continue their winning streak against Torino on Sunday. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the futures of two key players from their Europa League success, Atalanta comfortably defeated Lecce last week. Meanwhile, Torino narrowly missed out on a win against AC Milan.
Newcomers Mateo Retegui and Marco Brescianini made an immediate impact for Atalanta, both scoring twice in their debut match. However, the team is dealing with the potential departures of Teun Koopmeiners, who is linked with Juventus, and Europa League final hero Ademola Lookman, who is eyeing a move to Paris Saint-Germain. This has created a sense of unpredictability for Atalanta’s plans this season.
As the transfer window nears its close, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is likely to demand that his players concentrate on their upcoming challenges. After a Super Cup loss to Real Madrid and a convincing win over Lecce, Atalanta is aiming for a fifth consecutive Serie A away victory, as their home ground, Gewiss Stadium, undergoes renovations.
Historically, Atalanta has struggled to win their first two matches of the Serie A season, achieving this feat only once in the past 14 years. However, recent encounters with Torino have been favorable, with Atalanta losing just once in their last nine league meetings, including a record 7-0 victory in January 2020. Despite this, Torino, revitalized by former coach Ivan Juric, managed a 3-0 win against Atalanta last season.
New Torino coach Paolo Vanoli faces high expectations, as the team lost only one of their last 14 home games under Juric, achieving 10 clean sheets. Torino began the season with a 2-0 Coppa Italia win over Cosenza and were leading AC Milan 2-0 in their league opener, thanks to new captain Duvan Zapata, before conceding late to draw.
Torino narrowly missed out on European qualification last season, and their strong start could boost confidence for another challenge, though their tough schedule continues with Atalanta’s visit.
Team News
Atalanta will be without Teun Koopmeiners and Ademola Lookman, as well as regular starters Giorgio Scalvini and Gianluca Scamacca, who are recovering from knee injuries. Defenders Rafael Toloi and Sead Kolasinac, along with new signing Nicolo Zaniolo, are also sidelined. With record signing El Bilal Toure heading to the Bundesliga, Mateo Retegui and Charles De Ketelaere are expected to lead the attack.
For Torino, Duvan Zapata, a former Atalanta player and joint-top scorer for the club in Serie A, will be a key figure. He has scored seven goals in 11 matches against Atalanta. Either Antonio Sanabria or Che Adams will likely partner with him, as Nikola Vlasic is still recovering from an injury. Dutch defender Perr Schuurs is out until November, but Borna Sosa, a recent loan signing, may make his debut following Raoul Bellanova’s move to Atalanta.
Expected Starting XI’s
Torino: Milinkovic-Savic; Vojvoda, Coco, Masina; Lazaro, Ricci, Linetty, Ilic, Sosa; Sanabria, Zapata
Atalanta : Musso; De Roon, Hien, Djimsiti; Zappacosta, Ederson, Pasalic, Ruggeri; Brescianini; De Ketelaere, Retegui
