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

Still chasing a return to Europe's top competition, Atalanta BC will visit relegation-threatened Lecce for an important Serie A clash on Monday.

While the Bergamaschi still dream of another shot at the Champions League, their hosts are simply fighting for top-flight survival.

Match preview

Since the start of 2026, Atalanta have lost just one league game, winning eight times and adding an impressive 28 points to their tally - only Inter Milan and Como have accrued more this calendar year.

So, there is much to play for between now and the end of May, as La Dea sit seventh in Serie A and just four points behind Roma, who hold the last European spot as things stand.

Seven points separate Raffaele Palladino's side from the Champions League places, so they would need an almost flawless run-in to snatch a return ticket for next season.

This year's journey ended with a brutal 10-2 aggregate mauling by Bayern Munich last month, but Atalanta bounced straight back with a 1-0 league win over Hellas Verona.

Davide Zappacosta's strike secured victory in their final fixture before the international break, when captain Marten de Roon also became the club's record appearance-maker.

After a two-week hiatus, Palladino and co are now bound for Lecce, having picked up just 18 points away from home compared to 32 back in Bergamo.

Nonetheless, recent history will be on their side: Atalanta have prevailed on both of their last two trips to Stadio Via del Mare, scoring six goals without reply.

All told, Lecce have lost four of the last five league meetings, including a 4-1 away defeat in September, when Charles De Ketelaere bagged a brace for La Dea.

This time, the Giallorossi really need to reverse that trend, as they continue to fight desperately against relegation.

Lecce went into the break occupying 18th place, level on points with Cremonese and just two behind a revived Fiorentina side.

After winning a crucial clash against Cremo, they briefly pulled clear of the drop zone, but they then lost to Napoli and Roma - the latter result was a sixth defeat from their last seven away matches.

Eusebio Di Francesco's men are amid a tough run of fixtures, but they must try to pick up more points against Serie A's better sides - ideally starting on Monday.

Versus teams currently in the top half, Lecce have accrued just four from 16 games so far - only scoring six goals - which bodes ill for Atalanta's visit to the Via del Mare.

Furthermore, another blank against Roma means the Salentini are Serie A's joint-lowest scorers alongside Parma, with no player notching more than three league goals so far.

Lecce Serie A form:

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Atalanta BC Serie A form:

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Atalanta BC form (all competitions):

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Team News

Atalanta defender Sead Kolasinac limped out of Bosnia-Herzegovina's World Cup qualifying win against Wales, but he subsequently started their famous defeat of Italy in Tuesday's playoff final, which Gianlucca Scamacca missed through injury.

The latter - who has registered eight goals and hit the woodwork three times in Serie A this season - is still unavailable, while Swedish centre-back Isak Hien must also miss Monday's game.

In the absence of Scamacca, La Dea's joint-top scorer Nikola Krstovic should start; the Montenegrin striker was Lecce's leading marksman last season.

The Salentini proved unable to adequately replace him, as Nikola Stulic has only struck three times so far - albeit each one was on home turf.

Medon Berisha, Francesco Camarda and Kialonda Gaspar are all ruled out for the hosts, while Lassana Coulibaly is still struggling to overcome a thigh strain and Riccardo Sottil has been hampered by a back problem.

Fit and ready to start in central defence, Tiago Gabriel has won the most duels in Serie A this season, drawing attention from several big clubs around Europe.

Lecce possible starting lineup:

Falcone; Veiga, Gabriel, Siebert, Gallo; Ramadani, Ngom; Pierotti, Gandelman, Banda; Stulic

Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:

Carnesecchi; Scalvini, Djimsiti, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, De Roon, Ederson, Bernasconi; De Ketelaere, Zalewski; Krstovic