preparing

Gian Piero Gasperini made a daring promise after Atalanta smashed 4 previous Juventus final weekend and reignited their Serie A title bid, with Inter Milan coming to city on Sunday.

Chatting with Portuguese broadcaster Sport TV and nonetheless on a excessive after a surprising 4-0 victory in Turin, veteran coach Gasperini mentioned that if Atalanta gained their first ever Scudetto he would journey to Brazil and dance the samba.

“I am going to go to Rio, meet up with my outdated buddy Leo Junior and have a dance,” Gasperini mentioned, earlier than addressing the previous Brazil midfielder immediately on digital camera.

“If I win the title I am positively going, I am positively coming to see you.”

Gasperini, who performed with Leo Junior at Pescara within the late Nineteen Eighties, had each motive to be elated after having simply watched his crew slice via Juve nearly at will.

However Sunday’s conflict with league leaders and reigning champions Inter could possibly be Atalanta’s — and Gasperini’s — final dance in what has been an unprecedented tilt for a league crown.

Atalanta are three factors behind Inter in third place however might want to snap a dismal run of outcomes at dwelling if they’re to drag degree with their extra illustrious Lombardy rivals.

They have not gained at dwelling in Serie A since earlier than Christmas, gathering simply 4 factors from 5 matches in Bergamo and failing to even rating in opposition to lowly Cagliari and Venezia of their final two outings on the Gewiss Stadium.

That dwelling hoodoo stands in stark distinction to some fizzing shows on the street, with 4 wins on the bounce and 14 targets scored with out reply at Verona, Empoli and Juve within the final month.

And Sunday’s match may be one in all Gasperini’s final of his wildly profitable nine-year tenure in Bergamo, which has seen the 67-year-old drag the historically tiny membership to the highest desk in Italy and win the Europa League.

Gasperini has already mentioned that he won’t renew his contract which expires subsequent 12 months, and he would possibly transfer on this summer time with studies that he might take over at revitalised Roma when Claudio Ranieri steps apart on the finish of the season.

Inter come into the match in excessive spirits after sweeping previous Feyenoord and right into a Champions League quarter-final with Bayern Munich however will nonetheless be with out star wing-back Federico Dimarco, one in all 5 absentees for Simone Inzaghi’s crew.

Napoli, who’re solely some extent behind Inter, have an opportunity to reclaim the league lead once they tackle lowly Venezia in Venice earlier on Sunday and hope that then Inter slip up at Atalanta.

Man to look at: Thiago Motta

Final weekend’s historic thumping by the hands of Atalanta did not simply finish any speak of Juve launching a late bid for the Scudetto, it additionally elevated hypothesis that Motta’s time at Juve might effectively be up.

Followers had been already on a struggle footing after early elimination from each the Champions League and Italian Cup, and Juve’s worst dwelling defeat since 1967 solely made issues worse for Motta and his gamers.

Italian media are reporting that Motta, who was closely backed in the summertime switch window after arriving from Bologna, could possibly be sacked ought to Juve not win at Fiorentina, a match which is at all times a spicy affair.

Turin-based Tuttosport report that former Italy coach Roberto Mancini is among the many main contenders for Juve, who even with all of the discontent nonetheless sit fourth and within the Champions League positions.

Key stats

3 – Simply three factors separate Inter, Napoli and Atalanta

5 – Atalanta have did not win their final 5 dwelling league matches

Fixtures (instances GMT)

Friday

Genoa v Lecce (1945)

Saturday

Monza v Parma, Udinese v Verona (1400), AC Milan v Como (1700), Torino v Empoli (1945)

Sunday

Venezia v Napoli (1130) Bologna v Lazio (1400), Roma v Cagliari (1500), Fiorentina v Juventus (1700), Atalanta v Inter Milan (1945)

td/mw