Preview: Atalanta BC vs Bologna - prediction, team news, lineups

Atalanta BC will look to wrap up Conference League qualification when they welcome Bologna to the New Balance Arena for Sunday's Serie A encounter.

The visitors are the only team that can stop Atalanta from clinching seventh position, which has become an European spot following Inter's Coppa Italia final win over Lazio. 

Match preview

Atalanta have fallen significantly short of the top-four finishes from the past two seasons, but they are still on the verge of securing some form of European football after Inter's Coppa Italia triumph ensured a Europa League place back in the league, knocking the Conference League spot down to seventh.

La Dea currently occupy that Conference League position after winning 15, drawing 13 and losing eight of their 36 Serie A matches this season.

Raffaele Palladino's side will enter the penultimate matchday on the back of an impressive 3-2 victory over AC Milan at San Siro, a result that brought an end to their five-game winless run in all competitons. 

Ederson, Davide Zappacosta and Giacomo Raspadori all found to fire their side into a three-goal lead, and while Milan staged a late fightback, Atalanta scraped across the finishing line to clinch their fourth win in the past six meetings with the Rossoneri.

That result ensured Atalanta finished matchday 36 with a six-point buffer over Bologna, a team they beat 2-0 in January's reverse fixture at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.

With a head-to-head record, the first tiebreaker in Serie A, Atalanta only need to avoid a defeat by three goals or more to seal a fourth consecutive season of European football.

© Iconsport / Ipp

Bologna are in a position to better last season's ninth-place finish, with Vincenzo Italian's side sitting in eighth spot after recording 15 victories, seven draws and 14 defeats in 36 matches.

The Rossoblu kept their faint hopes alive of a top-seven finish with a thrilling 3-2 win against second-placed Napoli on Monday, which saw them initially give up a two-goal lead at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

However, just as Bologna appeared to be heading to a draw, Jonathan Rowe snatched all three points with a dramatic 91st-minute winner, representing the first time that the Rossoblu had scored three goals away to Napoli since another 3-2 triumph in December 2012.

While Rowe's third Serie A goal has kept Bologna in the race for Conference Legaue football, they still need to beat Atalanta by at least three goals to have any chance of snatching seventh.

Even if they achieve that feat, they would need to beat champions Inter on the final day of the season and hope Atalanta loses away to Fiorentina. 

Sunday's visitors will travel to Bergamo with the top-flight's joint fourth-best away record, having collected 31 points from their 18 road trips this term.

Atalanta BC Serie A form:

Atalanta BC form (all competitions):

Bologna Serie A form:

Bologna form (all competitions):

Team News

© Iconsport / LaPresse

Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini will miss the final two games of the season after sustaining an ankle injury in the win over Milan.

Odilon Kossounou replaced Scalvini at the San Siro, but he only played 15 minutes before he was forced off with an injury that has brought his season to a premature end.

There are also doubts surrounding the availability of defender Berat Djimsiti and midfielder Lorenzo Bernasconi, while Isak Hien will serve a one-match ban for an accumulation of yellow cards.

As for Bologna, they are expected to be without the services of Nicolo Casale, Martin Vitik and Nicolo Cambiaghi due to injury. 

Jhon Lucumi will serve a one-match ban for yellow card accumulation, opening the door for Torjorn Heggem to start on Sunday.

Attacker Jonathan Rowe is pushing for a recall after coming off the bench to score the winner at the Maradona last weekend.

Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:

Carnesecchi; De Roon, Ahanor, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, Pasalic, Ederson, Zalewski; De Ketelaere, Raspadori; Krstovic

Bologna possible starting lineup:

Pessina; Mario, Helland, Heggem, Miranda; Pobega, Freuler, Ferguson; Orsolini, Rowe, Castro

We say: Atalanta BC 1-2 Bologna

Having won six of their last eight Serie A games, Bologna should fancy their chances of taking three points from Sunday's contest, but we do think they will fail to obtain the margin of victory required to keep them in the race for Conference League qualification.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.