Fiorentina vs Atalanta

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Following the international break and seeking redemption in Serie A, Fiorentina will host Atalanta BC at Stadio Artemio Franchi on Sunday.

Fiorentina, after a heavy defeat by Inter in their last match, is determined to surpass their visitors in the standings and avoid falling further behind the early pace-setters.

Under the guidance of attack-focused coach Vincenzo Italiano, Fiorentina has struggled with inconsistency. They haven't secured a league victory since the season's opening day, and despite making it to the Europa Conference League group stage by defeating Rapid Vienna, they suffered a substantial loss just before the international break.

In their last outing, Fiorentina conceded three goals at San Siro, resulting in a 4-0 loss to the league leaders, Inter. Despite having a significant advantage in possession, they managed only two shots on target, highlighting their struggles in the attacking third.

Nevertheless, it's still early in the season, and a year ago, they had a slow start as well, with just five points from their first five matches in the 2022-23 campaign. Currently, they have four points from three games, despite the heavy loss to Inter.

Two weeks after their setback against Inter, Fiorentina returns to their home ground in Florence. Their first home game of the season ended in a draw against in-form Lecce.

Like last year when they had to balance European commitments with Serie A, Fiorentina will begin their latest European campaign with an away trip to Belgium to face Genk - the first of three consecutive away fixtures. Consequently, Sunday's match is their final opportunity to impress their fans at the Franchi this month. Atalanta comes into this game with two wins and one loss in their last four meetings with Fiorentina, with a 1-0 victory in Lombardy last October and a 1-1 draw in Florence five months ago.

Atalanta has had a bright start to the season without the qualifying concerns that Fiorentina has faced. Their fifth-place finish last season secured them direct entry to the Europa League group stage, where they will face Polish champions Rakow Czestochowa next week.

In their first three matches, Atalanta has managed to keep a clean sheet twice, defeating Sassuolo and Monza while suffering a surprising loss to promoted Frosinone. With summer signings Charles De Ketelaere and Gianluca Scamacca now scoring goals, they seem well-equipped for a top-four challenge, despite the departures of Duvan Zapata and Rasmus Hojlund.

Before Rakow's visit to Bergamo next Thursday, Gasperini's revamped squad faces one of their likely rivals for a European spot this season, with the aim of securing three valuable points.

Fiorentina, however, will have to cope without several players this weekend. Yerry Mina has returned from Colombia duty with an injury and joins Jonathan Ikone and Gaetano Castrovilli on the sidelines. Recent signing Maxime Lopez remains suspended, but Antonin Barak should be available.

Up front, M'Bala Nzola, who has a strong track record against Atalanta, with three goals and an assist in four previous Serie A matches, is expected to lead the attack. Meanwhile, Atalanta will miss record signing El Bilal Toure due to a preseason injury, so Gianluca Scamacca is set to lead their attack. In midfield, Dutch duo Teun Koopmeiners and Marten de Roon have been highly involved in offensive play this season, sharing a league-high 22 sequences ending with a shot alongside Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Piotr Zielinski.

To summarize, Fiorentina is preparing to face Atalanta in Serie A at Stadio Artemio Franchi on Sunday. Fiorentina is eager to bounce back after a heavy loss to Inter, while Atalanta is aiming to maintain their strong start to the season. Both teams have made some notable signings, and the match promises to be an intriguing contest.