Aiming to stay clear at Serie A's summit, Inter Milan visit regional rivals Atalanta BC on Saturday evening, when they also seek a fourth straight win.

The two Lombardy clubs shared five goals in both of last season's meetings, but this term they have been among Europe's best for keeping things tight at the back.

Match preview

Having already lost three away matches this season, Atalanta travelled to Empoli on Monday seeking maximum points, and events at Stadio Castellani transpired just as coach Gian Piero Gasperini would have wanted.

A return to Italy's top four is La Dea's target this term, so taking care of business against Serie A strugglers is essential; investing in the proven prowess of Gianluca Scamacca paid dividends in Tuscany, as the ex-Sassuolo striker scored twice en route to a 3-0 win.

Atalanta have now kept a clean sheet in seven of their first 10 top-flight fixtures and sit fourth in the standings - one point ahead of reigning champions Napoli, and just behind both Milan clubs and Juventus.

Although the Bergamaschi were held to a draw by Sturm Graz last time out in the Europa League, they are also primed to progress from Group D and make the knockout rounds, topping the table ahead of next week's reverse fixture against the Austrian side.

First, they aim to emulate last year's tally of seven victories from their first 11 league games, and doing so in consecutive seasons - some 60 years after last managing such a feat - would surely prove that long-serving Gasperini has pulled off his squad rebuild successfully.

Once boss of Inter - albeit briefly and ineffectively - 'Gasp' has seen his side lose both of their last two league matches against Saturday's visitors by the same 3-2 scoreline. However, a superb recent defensive record suggests conceding three this time is less likely.

Including last season's successes, Inter are unbeaten in nine Serie A meetings with Atalanta as they prepare for the short trip to Bergamo: avoiding defeat this weekend would match their best such streak - 10, between December 1950 and March 1955.

Simone Inzaghi's side will arrive at the Gewiss Stadium having lost just once so far this term following last week's 1-0 home win over Roma, when Marcus Thuram's late strike split the sides at San Siro.

While Roma's ex-Inter striker Romelu Lukaku failed to maintain his superb start to life wearing a Giallorossi jersey, his replacement has now been involved in at least one goal during each of his last five league appearances - in addition to netting a winner against Benfica in the Champions League.

With Thuram supplementing Capocannoniere rankings leader Lautaro Martinez up front, the Nerazzurri have sprinted to a tally of 25 points; boasting an impressive record of 25 goals scored and just five conceded.

Inzaghi's men have won eight of their first 10 league matches and are also set to reach the Champions League's last 16 - they can seal qualification by beating Red Bull Salzburg next Wednesday - but a potent strike partnership is not solely responsible for such fine form.

A rock-solid defence has played its part too: with a victory and a clean sheet on Saturday, Inter would win each of their first five away fixtures without conceding for only the second time in their long and illustrious history.

Team News

Still without summer signing El Bilal Toure (thigh) and centre-back Jose Luis Palomino (muscular) due to injury, Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini will hope two first-team regulars do not join the absent duo on the sidelines this weekend.

Highly-rated defender Giorgio Scalvini is struggling with a back problem, while wing-back Davide Zappacosta has been laid low by illness, though neither has been ruled out of Saturday's game.

Linked with a move to Inter in the last transfer window, Gianluca Scamacca instead signed for La Dea, and after an injury-affected spell now has two braces to his name from just four Serie A starts this season. The Italy striker could again be paired with Ademola Lookman, but Milan loanee Charles De Ketelaere offers Gasperini another option.

Meanwhile, Inter are still awaiting the returns of Marko Arnautovic (thigh) and Juan Cuadrado (Achilles), both of whom are yet to rejoin full training.

Simone Inzaghi is set to name a similar side to that which started against Roma last time out - any rotation could instead come against Salzburg next week - with 12-goal top scorer Lautaro Martinez joining Marcus Thuram up front.

In-form Thuram is one of only five men to have recorded at least four goals and four assists in Europe's top five leagues this term, along with Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah, Ollie Watkins and Julian Brandt.

Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Musso; Scalvini, Djimsiti, Kolasinac; Hateboer, De Roon, Ederson, Ruggeri; Koopmeiners; Lookman, Scamacca

Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Thuram

We say: Atalanta BC 0-1 Inter Milan

No team has kept more clean sheets than either Inter or Atalanta throughout Europe's top five leagues this term - seven each, level with Nice and Juventus - so it could be a cagey affair this weekend. The visitors' fluent front line should help them breach their hosts' tight defence, though, and rack up a ninth win from 11 league games.


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