Gian Piero Gasperini is expected to start Mateo Retegui, Ademola Lookman and Charles De Ketelaere in the Atalanta attack against Sturm Graz, while Bologna will look to Riccardo Orsolini against Borussia Dortmund.
Nerazzurri and Rossoblu play in the Champions League Round 7 this evening, and Gasp’s side will be the first to take to the pitch at 18:45 CET.
Gianluca Scamacca, Nicolò Zaniolo and Odilon Kossounou are unavailable for La Dea and according to Gazzetta, Gasp will pick Retegui, De Ketelaere and Lookman in attack.
According to Sky Sport, Lookman could rest this evening, making room for Marco Brescianini as an attacking midfielder.
Gian Piero Gasperini will rue his team’s current form, which has seen Atalanta fail to win any of their last five games across competitions as they prepare for the visit of Sturm Graz on Tuesday. Those include three draws in Serie A, an exit from the Supercoppa Italiana semi-finals, and then a defeat to title rivals Napoli on home soil.
Gasperini is eager for his players to find form in the coming fixtures across all competitions, starting with the Champions League home clash with Sturm Graz. Atalanta lost their most recent game in the competition against Real Madrid, which has pushed them into the 13th spot, as they are currently in a must-win situation.
Atalanta want the league phase wrapped up with automatic qualification, but there are potential ramifications if they end up dropping points on Tuesday to Sturm Graz. Gasperini will want a statement win against the Austrian team to stand a chance for a top-eight place, as a loss will put that in jeopardy, with the team set for a visit to Barcelona in their final league phase game.
If this game is a must-win for Atalanta, Sturm Graz will come to Bergamo with the intent of becoming the first-ever Austrian side to beat an Italian team in the competition. There have been 14 games played previously between clubs of both nations, with the Austrians failing to beat anyone.
Sturm Graz are in a precarious position with their own hopes of making it into the top-24. With three points on board so far, their chances of climbing up are looking slim. The task in front of them is a mammoth one, given that this is also a must-win encounter for the Austrians. A loss or even a draw would all but end their journey in Europe’s premier competition this season.
Atalanta (3-4-2-1): Carnesecchi; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac; Palestra, De Roon, Pasalic, Zappacosta; De Ketelaere, Retegui, Lookman.
Sturm Graz (4-2-3-1): Scherpen; Aiwu, Geyrhofer, Wüthrich, Lavalée; Stankovic, Chukwuani; Yalcouyé, Kiteishvili, Jatta; Bøving.
