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

Both starting a new era, Atalanta BC and newly-promoted Pisa will meet for their Serie A season-opener on Sunday.

While the hosts aim to build on almost a decade of progress under former boss Gian Piero Gasperini, their visitors are finally back in the big time after 34 years away.

Match preview

Just when it seemed Gasperini could no longer raise the bar, the Europa League winner guided Atalanta to their best Serie A tally last term, finishing up third with 74 points.

Though they qualified for the Champions League for a fifth time in seven seasons, La Dea even experienced a slight tinge of regret, as only three straight defeats ended their pursuit of a first-ever Scudetto.

Perhaps sensing the time was right - and having dropped plenty of hints throughout the 2024-25 campaign - 'Gasp' duly left Bergamo for Rome, leaving his former protege at Genoa to take charge.

Ivan Juric has been handed the tough job of replacing a club icon, and following a terrible year spent between Roma and Southampton, he has endured a difficult summer in the transfer market.

With reigning Capocannoniere Mateo Retegui already departed and Ademola Lookman hell-bent on leaving, Juric faces a real challenge to maintain the Bergamaschi's recent success.

After winning half of their six games in pre-season, first up in Serie A will be Pisa, who Atalanta most recently met in a Coppa Italia tie 11 years ago.

Their paths have not crossed since, as Pisa's last top-flight fixture took place on May 26, 1991.

Despite ending the club's three-decade wait for promotion back to Serie A, Pippo Inzaghi then took the chance to join ambitious Palermo, so Alberto Gilardino has been named the Nerazzurri's new boss.

Having previously led Genoa up to Italy's elite tier and kept them there - before being sacked last November - Gilardino has proven to be a pragmatic coach, and his sole task will be to ensure Pisa do not go straight back down.

In pre-season, Gilardino's side followed three straight wins with two draws and a defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, before finishing off with a 1-1 stalemate at Pistoiese.

Then, one week before making their long awaited top-tier comeback, the Nerazzurri played their first competitive game in the cup.

An unconvincing goalless draw with Cesena was followed by a shambolic penalty shootout, but Pisa eventually won 2-1 on spot kicks and booked a second-round clash with Torino.

Atalanta pre-season form: W W L D L

Pisa form (all competitions): W

Team News

Despite their manager's departure, Atalanta have largely kept a successful squad together so far - albeit Retegui and Lookman will not be involved this weekend.

New boys Nicola Zalewski, Kamaldeen Sulemana and Nikola Krstovic should all feature for the hosts, but fit-again Gianluca Scamacca may keep the latter out of La Dea's starting XI.

Likely to start on the right flank, Raoul Bellanova has racked up 16 assists over the past two Serie A seasons, while Zalewski vies with Davide Zappacosta on the left.

Ivan Juric has plenty of options available, as only long-term absentees Sead Kolasinac and Mitchel Bakker have been ruled out by injury; meanwhile, Alberto Gilardino will be missing Brazilian centre-back Mateus Lusuardi, plus Tomas Esteves and Isak Vural.

Pisa have also been busy in the transfer market, with their most eye-catching arrivals being Bologna's Michel Aebischer, Fiorentina striker M'Bala Nzola and veteran winger Juan Cuadrado, who spent last season with Atalanta.

Having supported Alexander Lind in Sunday's Coppa Italia tie, last term's top scorer Matteo Tramoni is set to join either the Danish striker or Nzola up front.

Atalanta BC possible starting lineup: Carnesecchi; Scalvini, Hien, Kossounou; Bellanova, De Roon, Ederson, Zappacosta; De Ketelaere, Samardzic; Scamacca

Pisa possible starting lineup: Semper; Calabresi, Caracciolo, Canestrelli; Cuadrado, Aebischer, Marin, Akinsanmiro, Angori; Tramoni; Nzola

We say: Atalanta BC 2-0 Pisa

Atalanta have won all of their last seven opening Serie A matches - and by an aggregate score of 21-5 - while keeping clean sheets in each of their last three.

Even under new management, that trend can continue at the expense of promoted Pisa, who are surely set for a season of struggle.

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