Monza – Atalanta Bergamo
When one team has its sights set on the Champions League and the other is just fighting for pride, it sets the stage for a Sunday afternoon of stark contrasts: bottom-of-the-table Monza welcomes third-placed Atalanta to the U-Power Stadium. Monza travels with five consecutive defeats, ten points behind Empoli and with Carboni and Caldirola suspended – relegation is practically sealed. On the other side, Atalanta continues to chase the top flight with confidence after its recent 1-1 draw in Lecce, despite the absence of Scamacca and Scalvini and coach Gian Piero Gasperini publicly calling for more pace. The record speaks for itself: five direct encounters, five Atalanta wins, not a single Monza goal. Under these circumstances, anything other than a clear away win would be a sensation, but in the home side’s foreseeable farewell game, there is at least hope for one last, atmospheric surprise.
Monza – Atalanta info
- Venue: U-Power Stadium, Monza
- Date and time: May 4, 2025, 3:00 p.m.
- Competition: Serie A (matchday 35)
Monza form & record check
Monza’s form is in freefall: five defeats in a row, each time without scoring. The team has completely collapsed after the break, conceding goals in the second half in four of their last five games and failing to win either the first or second half. With only 15 points and a double-digit gap to 17th place, the fight against relegation seems hopeless. Injuries to Pessina, Izzo and D’Ambrosio, as well as suspensions in defense, are exacerbating the misery, leaving coach Alessandro Nesta with few options.
Despite personnel shortages, Monza is likely to stick with its usual 3-5-2 formation. Di Gregorio will guard the goal in front of Palacios, Brorsson, and Birindelli. The injured Pessina and Gagliardini are missing in midfield, which means that Bondo and Colpani will have to work hard alongside Akpa-Akpro. Up front, Nesta will once again rely on Dany Mota and Caprari due to a lack of alternatives – the latter is needed as a creative focal point if Monza is to create any chances at all.
Atalanta form & record check
Atalanta travel in third place with 65 points, but their lead over Juventus is only three points – there’s no room for complacency. After hard-fought victories against Bologna (2-0) and Milan (1-0), the 1-1 draw in Lecce looked sluggish, prompting Gasperini to publicly accuse his team of “arrogance.” Interesting: In all of their last five league games, fewer than 2.5 goals were scored, with 80% of the first halves ending with less than 1.5 goals – Atalanta is currently a results machine, not a spectacle machine. Scalvini, Kolasinac and Scamacca will continue to be absent, while Cuadrado and Lookman are expected to support Retegui. The plan is to secure three points and keep their nerves.
Atalanta sticks with its 3-4-2-1 formation: Kossounou, Hien, and Djimsiti form the back three in front of Carnesecchi. De Roon and Éderson secure the center, while Bellanova and Zappacosta work the wings. Lookman and Pašalić move up behind striker Retegui in attack. Palestra is back in the squad after injury, but a place in the starting line-up is unlikely – the tense situation in the table means there is no room for experimentation.
H2H Monza – Atalanta Head-to-head & statistics
Five games, five Atalanta wins – the head-to-head record is clear. Remarkably, Bergamo has scored at least twice in every game and has always added to its tally after the break, while Monza has failed to score in either half. The pattern is clear: Atalanta finds solutions as soon as their opponents tire; Monza loses its way after the break. Without a tactical breakthrough, the home side faces a sixth consecutive defeat against “La Dea.”
