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

After both posted big wins last time out, Atalanta BC and Cagliari will clash in Serie A's Saturday night contest.

While La Dea downed the world club champions in midweek, the Rossoblu finally ended their win drought by beating Roma.

Match preview

Despite struggling to meet expectations in Serie A this season, Atalanta are on track for an impressive top-eight finish in the Champions League, which would send them straight through to the last 16.

Posting their fourth win from six league-phase games, the Bergamaschi bounced back from conceding first to Chelsea on Tuesday evening, as Charles De Ketelaere seized centre stage.

Having set up Gianluca Scamacca's headed equaliser, the Belgian star then scored the second goal himself, as La Dea celebrated yet another a memorable night in Europe.

However, back on the domestic front, last week's 3-1 loss to Hellas Verona - who had previously failed to win a single game - left Atalanta stuck inside the bottom half of the standings.

Even after changing coaches, the Nerazzurri have won just one of their last 10 league matches, leading to their worst points and goals tallies at this stage of any season for a decade.

So, new boss Raffaele Palladino will be keen to build on beating Chelsea by seeing off Cagliari, though that would mean winning consecutive Serie A home games for the first time this year.

Although they only took one point off Atalanta last term - without even scoring a goal - Cagliari have lost on just two of their last seven league visits to Bergamo.

Hopes of a victory this week have been buoyed by last Sunday's events in Sardinia, where the Rossoblu conquered high-flying Roma thanks to Gianluca Gaetano's late strike.

Aided by their visitors being reduced to 10 men for most of the second half, Fabio Pisacane's side halted a nine-match winless streak that dated back to September.

Previously knocked out of the Coppa Italia by Napoli after an epic penalty shootout, Cagliari can focus solely on top-flight survival, with their buffer to the drop zone still far from substantial.

Since the start of last season, the Sardinian side have only posted consecutive victories once, but they now hope to exploit any more missteps by La Dea.

Atalanta BC Serie A form:

D L L L W L

Atalanta BC form (all competitions):

L W W W L W

Cagliari Serie A form:

L L D D L W

Cagliari form (all competitions):

L D D L L W

Team News

While Kamaldeen Sulemana is not due back from an adductor injury until next week, and Mitchel Bakker should return to action early next year, Atalanta should have an otherwise full squad on Saturday.

Ademola Lookman will play his last game before heading to the Africa Cup of Nations, most likely joining De Ketelaere and Scamacca in a familiar front three.

If Palladino opts to make changes after an intense clash with Chelsea, then Isak Hien and Davide Zappacosta lead a long queue of players seeking promotion from the bench.

Cagliari, meanwhile, must do without long-term absentees Mattia Felici and Andrea Belotti, plus Portuguese defender Ze Pedro; Yerry Mina remains a doubt.

Pisacane may be loath to rotate after an excellent result against Roma, so an unchanged XI could line up in Bergamo.

Sure to feature on the Rossoblu's right flank is Marco Palestra, who returns to his parent club. The wing-back has recorded three assists this season, also completing the most successful dribbles of any Serie A defender.

Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:

Carnesecchi; Kossounou, Hien, Djimsiti; Zappacosta, De Roon, Ederson, Zalewski; De Ketelaere, Lookman; Scamacca

Cagliari possible starting lineup:

Caprile; Zappa, Rodriguez, Luperto; Palestra, Adopo, Deiola, Folorunsho, Obert; Esposito, Borrelli