Atalanta BC head into this Serie A clash against Cagliari Calcio looking to recover from a painful Coppa Italia exit, as both sides battle for very different objectives late in the season.
After a dramatic semi-final tie that ended level on aggregate, Atalanta were eventually knocked out on penalties despite Marco Pašalić scoring a late equaliser to force extra time.
That defeat capped off a difficult week, with their hopes of securing a UEFA Champions League spot also taking a hit following a 1–1 draw with AS Roma in the league.
Meanwhile, Cagliari are firmly locked in a relegation battle. Despite a brief run of strong results earlier in the campaign, their form has dipped significantly, and they now sit just a few points above the drop zone.
A recent 3–0 loss to Inter Milan highlighted the gap in quality, even though they showed resilience for long periods in that match.
Atalanta will take confidence from their strong record in this fixture, having dominated recent meetings, including a convincing win earlier in the season. However, with fatigue from cup action and inconsistency creeping in, this is far from a straightforward assignment.
Team News
Atalanta could rotate their squad after the physically demanding cup clash, with Gianluca Scamacca pushing for a starting role in attack ahead of Nikola Krstović. Marco Pašalić, Giacomo Raspadori, and Raoul Bellanova are all in contention to feature.
Defensively, Isak Hien could return from injury, but Lorenzo Bernasconi is ruled out after suffering a knee sprain.
Cagliari will be without several key players, including Mattia Felici, Riyad Idrissi, Leonardo Pavoletti, and Luca Mazzitelli. Marco Palestra is expected to continue on the wing after impressing, while Sebastiano Esposito leads the line as their top scorer.
Possible Lineups
Cagliari: Caprile; Ze Pedro, Mina, Rodriguez; Palestra, Folorunsho, Gaetano, Adopo, Obert; Esposito, Borrelli
Atalanta: Carnesecchi; Scalvini, Djimsiti, Ahanor; Bellanova, De Roon, Ederson, Zappacosta; Pasalic, Raspadori; Scamacca
Where to watch
| Country | Broadcast/Streaming |
| Italy | DAZN / Sky Sport |
| UK | TNT Sports |
| USA | Paramount+ |
| Nigeria | SuperSport |
| Global | Serie A official broadcasters |
AC Milan recently secured a narrow 1–0 victory over Cagliari, with Rafael Leão making a decisive impact on his return, pushing the Rossoneri to the top of the table. Highlight has been posted by serie A via their youtube channel.
Watch video below;
At the same time, Inter Milan have surged further ahead in the title race, opening a significant points gap after another win over Cagliari, bringing them closer to securing the Serie A crown.
Softfootball believes that despite recent setbacks, Atalanta still possess enough quality and depth to overcome a struggling Cagliari side, though the hosts’ desperation for points could make this a tightly contested encounter.
