After dropping points for just the third time this season, unbeaten Atalanta BC aim for a return to winning ways on Saturday night, when they host Serie A rivals Sassuolo.
La Dea let two points slip in their top-three clash with Udinese last week but still sit second in the standings, while their visitors were beaten at home by Inter.
Match preview
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Despite drawing last time out, Atalanta have surpassed 20 points after nine rounds of a Serie A season for the very first time - and they have never before been undefeated at this stage.
The Bergamo club are once again flying high near the top of the Serie A table, after it seemed their recent spell of success had hit terminal decline: coach Gian Piero Gasperini has taken his rejuvenated side to second spot, trailing leaders Napoli by only two points.
Indeed, they would still be level with the Partenopei had they managed to hold on to a two-goal lead last week, after Ademola Lookman and Luis Muriel had put them in command of an unusually high-stakes clash with Serie A's surprise side Udinese.
Conceding twice in the final half-hour then saw Atalanta fail to win an away fixture for the first time this term, but they nevertheless still boast the joint-best defensive record in the Italian top flight, having let in only five league goals.
Such a performance to this point is perhaps all the more surprising, as the Nerazzurri have been beset by absences among their central-defender department - a particular challenge for Gasperini considering his preference for fielding three at the back.
First-choice goalkeeper Juan Musso has been missing of late, too, but the home side still surely start as favourites to prevail when Sassuolo arrive at the Gewiss Stadium for Saturday's late kickoff.
Atalanta have won each of their last five home matches against their Emilian counterparts, always scoring at least twice in the process, and they last failed to beat them in Bergamo back in April 2017.
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Indeed, Sassuolo have conceded at least once in each of their last 15 visits to La Dea's headquarters; shipping 2.7 goals per game on average.
More recently, though, Alessio Dionisi's side came out on top in the teams' last meeting - a 2-1 victory in April - following a 15-game streak without a single win in this match-up.
This season so far, the Neroverdi have been consistently inconsistent - having won, drawn and lost three times - but still kicked off last week's game against Inter ahead of their Milanese counterparts on goal difference.
In the absence of injured talisman Domenico Berardi, they were able to equalise through much-admired midfielder Davide Frattesi and harbour ambitions of a headline-grabbing win, but ultimately fell foul of Edin Dzeko's brace.
Though conceding twice at the Mapei Stadium blotted a brilliant start to the campaign defensively - with five clean sheets to date, Sassuolo have already registered two more than all of last season - they have recorded shut-outs in each of their last two away matches.
The Emilians last posted three-in-a-row back in late 2020, under new Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, and his successor will be keen to match that feat on Saturday.
Team News
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After receiving another booking last weekend, Atalanta wing-back Hans Hateboer must now serve a suspension; creating a vacancy on the hosts' right flank. Therefore, Brandon Soppy could be brought back into the side, or Joakim Maehle switched from the left - if passed fit to return from injury, Davide Zappacosta offers another alternative.
Captain Rafael Toloi once more joins Jose Luis Palomino and Berat Djimsiti on the sidelines, so young defenders Caleb Okoli and Giorgio Scalvini should start again.
First-choice goalkeeper Juan Musso and star striker Duvan Zapata also miss out, and in the latter's absence, Luis Muriel will aim to score his 100th Serie A goal. Having netted number 99 against former club Udinese last time out, Muriel could score in successive appearances for the first time since April.
Leading the visitors' attack, meanwhile, will be Andrea Pinamonti, who has played 365 minutes against Atalanta in Serie A without scoring a single goal.
Domenico Berardi has been absent from the Sassuolo squad since shortly before the international break, and is yet to fully recover from a muscular injury, while Mert Muldur, Hamed Traore and Gregoire Defrel are all unavailable too.
Despite defeat last time out, Alessio Dionisi is set to stick with his tried and trusted 4-3-3 formation, and could even name the same starting XI.
Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Sportiello; Scalvini, Demiral, Okoli; Soppy, De Roon, Koopmeiners, Maehle; Pasalic; Lookman, Muriel
Sassuolo possible starting lineup:
Consigli; Toljan, Erlic, Ferrari, Rogerio; Frattesi, Lopez, Thorstvedt; Ceide, Pinamonti, Lauriente
We say: Atalanta BC 1-0 Sassuolo
Atalanta are the only side yet to trail in any of their games during this Serie A season, so Sassuolo have their work cut out to take the initiative on Saturday night. Both teams have markedly improved at the back this term, too, which could lead to a tightly-contested home win.
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Top tip
Jonathan O'Shea
