Atalanta’s Rotten Record Against Inter Milan Likely to Unravel Recent Purple Patch

Matchday 17 sees Atalanta vs Inter Milan headline a pivotal week in Serie A, which could see the leaders extend their advantage at the summit.

Inter return to Italy off the back of a painful penalty shoot-out defeat against Bologna in Saudi Arabia, but will take comfort in the fact Serie A has been kind to them of late.

Three consecutive wins has seem them leapfrog Milan and Napoli, who have both stuttered in recent weeks and allowed Inter to capitalize.

Cristian Chivu’s side make a trip that is typically one of the toughest places for visiting teams, but Bergamo has been a city of good fortune for Inter in recent seasons.

Despite Atalanta’s purple patch since the arrival of Raffaele Palladino last month, recent history in the fixture suggests they may hit another stumbling block in their resurgence towards European qualification.

When Was the Last Time Atalanta Beat Inter Milan?

Atalanta vs Inter Milan has thrown up some of Serie A’s most memorable head-to-heads in recent seasons – albeit usually with one outcome.

Le Dea have not beaten Inter since November 2018; a run of 15 consecutive games in all competitions.

Of those 15, Inter have triumphed in 10, including a current streak of eight straight victories.

Why Atalanta Can Shake Off Their Inter Voodoo

Palladino’s introduction has injected new life into an Atalanta side that looked rudderless under Ivan Juric.

Six wins in their last seven in all competitions has restored belief that they can make up the ground between themselves and the top four, which currently stands at eight points heading into matchday 17.

Atalanta’s forward line look far more fluid in Palladino’s system, akin to the kind of unshackled attacking force they were under Gian Piero Gasperini.

In particular, Gianluca Scamacca has impressed under new management, scoring five goals in eight appearances, including a brace against Cagliari despite having a fever.

As the focal point of the attack, he will be crucial to standing up to Inter’s defense, which is expected to feature the returning Manuel Akanji, with Matteo Darmian and Francesco Acerbi ruled out.

The Nerazzurri have looked more susceptible than usual to conceding in recent matches, having been breached in their last three.

Atalanta must shore up their own backline, with only Sassuolo conceding more in the top-half of the table, but recent performances have shown they are allowing fewer opposition chances. Genoa and Cagliari were limited to a combined four shots on target across Atalanta’s recent fixtures.

While Lautaro Martinez and Hakan Calhanoglu are fit and poised to start, there are promising signs that Atalanta might be able to rid themselves of recent misfortunes in this fixture.