Atalanta have put on a goal-scoring shootout for the second round in a row. Last Thursday, the Bergamaschi faced Fiorentina at the Artemio Franchi. The opponents started the match rather cautiously and were in no particular hurry to create chances. Almost the first dangerous attack of the game resulted in a goal. After a beautiful combination, De Ketelaere put the “Goddess” ahead. Almost immediately, Krstovic could have doubled his team’s advantage, but De Gea produced an excellent save. Fiorentina came out for the second half with a completely different attitude. Paolo Vanoli’s men set about correcting the situation from the opening minutes, and their efforts were soon rewarded. In the 53rd minute, N’Zola equalized, and just seven minutes later the Florentines took the lead. The Bergamaschi did not give up, and in the 74th minute they restored parity through Zalewski’s strike. That was how the match ended. In the previous round, Maurizio Sarri’s men shared the points with Frosinone in a 4–4 draw.

Parma ended a three-match losing streak. On Wednesday, the Crusaders hosted fellow strugglers Udinese at the Ennio Tardini. Alberto Gilardino’s men started the match extremely poorly. The Gialloblu spent almost the entire first half under pressure from their opponents, managing only three attacks in the direction of Okoye’s goal. An unexpected chance to score came Parma’s way in the 67th minute. However, Bernabé failed to beat the opponent from the spot. Although the Friulians dominated possession, they were unable to claim the deserved three points. In the previous round, Parma lost 2–1 to Lazio of Rome.

Last season, the meeting at the Gewiss Stadium ended in a convincing victory for the Bergamaschi. The home fans saw unanswered goals from Scamacca, De Roon, Raspadori, and Krstovic. It is worth noting that four of the last five meetings between the sides in Bergamo ended with the Crusaders suffering a heavy defeat. It should also be noted that the Gialloblu have lost every away match, with an overall goal difference of 9–2. Alberto Gilardino’s team have almost no chance of earning points in this match. Cuesta’s departure would be an irreversible disaster for the Crusaders going forward. Atalanta are the clear favorites for this encounter and, despite all their problems, should be able to collect three points without much difficulty.