Atalanta BC play host to Bologna on Tuesday evening knowing that they can ill-afford any more dropped points if they want to remain in the Serie A title race.
Meanwhile, Bologna make the trip to the Gewiss Stadium looking to bounce back from a heavy defeat to AC Milan, a result which extended their winless streak to four matches.
Match preview
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While Atalanta are still regarded as contenders for the league title, being held to a 1-1 draw at Hellas Verona has done nothing positive for their hopes of landing a first-ever top-flight crown.
Although a share of the spoils extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 16 matches, Gian Piero Gasperini will be frustrated that his side sit no nearer to leaders Juventus.
All things considered, I Nerazzurri require four consecutive victories if they wish to challenge the reigning champions, as well as giving themselves the best chance of claiming a runners-up spot which would still be classed as an outstanding achievement.
With each of their remaining opponents - which includes rivals Inter Milan - sitting in the top 12, Gasperini can at least be reassured that his players will not take anything for granted over the coming weeks.
Gasperini's message will be that there are places up for grabs ahead of the Champions League quarter-final showdown with Paris Saint-Germain on August 12, something which may soon become their priority if Juventus build an unassailable lead.
Earlier this month, Bologna would have had their own hopes of a late surge proving decisive in their bid to claim an unlikely spot in next season's Europa League.
However, a run of two points from four matches has left I Rossoblu in mid-table, effectively resulting in eighth position now becoming their most realistic target.
A tough fixture schedule has contributed to their downfall, with their defeats coming against in-form Sassuolo and AC Milan, but credit should also be given for a draw with Napoli.
Although Atalanta only extends that daunting run of games, Sinisa Mihajlovic can at least look forward to a closing triple-header against clubs situated in the bottom half of the table.
Atalanta BC Serie A form: WWWDWD
Bologna Serie A form: DWLDDL
Team News
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Gasperini will almost certainly rotate his Atalanta side, which could include recalls for the likes of Timothy Castagne and Marten de Roon.
That could result in Robin Gosens and Remo Freuler dropping down to the substitutes' bench, along with Jose Luis Palomino, who may be replaced by Mattia Caldara.
Given the manner of his side's defeat at San Siro, Mihajlovic is unlikely to hold back when it comes to making alterations.
Ibrahima Mbaye, Gabriele Corbo, Andreas Skov Olsen, Andri Fannar Baldursson and Matthias Svanberg will all hope for starting roles, having been introduced on Saturday at a time when Bologna were already 4-1 down.
Gary Medel may also get the nod over Andrea Poli in the centre of midfield, but on-loan Musa Barrow will not feature against his parent club.
Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Gollini; Toloi, Caldara, Djimsiti; Hateboer, Pasalic, De Roon, Castagne; Malinovskiy, Zapata, Gomez
Bologna possible starting lineup:
Skorupski; Mbaye, Danilo, Denswil, Dijks; Medel, Svanberg; Orsolini, Olsen, Sansone; Santander
We say: Atalanta BC 4-1 Bologna
With the freedom to throw caution to the wind and having slipped up in their last outing, we expect a positive response from the home side, who will feel confident about outclassing opponents who are low in confidence.
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Atalanta BC win with a probability of 71.3%. A draw had a probability of 16.4% and a win for Bologna had a probability of 12.28%.
The most likely scoreline for an Atalanta BC win was 2-0 with a probability of 9.74%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.38%) and 3-0 (8.21%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (7.42%), while for a Bologna win it was 1-2 (3.57%). The actual scoreline of 1-0 was predicted with a 7.7% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Atalanta BC would win this match.
