Atalanta vs Inter Milan — Match Preview
A blockbuster showdown closes out the year at the New Balance Arena (Gewiss Stadium) on Sunday, 28 December 2025. League leaders Inter Milan travel to Bergamo looking to shake off a disappointing Super Cup defeat to Bologna. The Nerazzurri have been dominant in the league, sitting top with 33 points, but face a resurgent Atalanta side that has won three consecutive matches in all competitions. La Dea, currently 9th, are finding their rhythm and will be desperate to end their poor head-to-head record against the champions in front of a raucous home crowd.
Atalanta vs Inter Milan — Match Info
- Competition: Serie A (Matchday 17)
- Venue: New Balance Arena (Gewiss Stadium), Bergamo (Capacity: 24,950)
- Date: Sunday, 28 December 2025
- Kickoff: 20:45 CET | 19:45 GMT | 14:45 ET
- Referee: Federico La Penna (ITA)
Atalanta vs Inter Milan — Match Stakes
Atalanta (9th — 22 pts):
- Win → Moves to 25 pts; potentially jumps into the European spots (Top 6)
- Draw → Keeps the unbeaten run alive; a statement result against the leaders
- Loss → Momentum halt; risks dropping into the bottom half of the table
Inter Milan (1st — 33 pts):
- Win → Moves to 36 pts; maintains or extends their lead at the top of Serie A
- Draw → Stabilizes the ship after the Super Cup loss; keeps distance from rivals
- Loss → A second consecutive defeat could allow Milan or Napoli to close the gap
Atalanta vs Inter Milan — Team News
Atalanta:
- Lookman A. — Out (International Duty – AFCON)
- Kossounou O. — Out (International Duty – AFCON)
- Scamacca G. — Out (ACL Injury)
- Scalvini G. — Out (Muscle Injury)
- Bellanova R. — Out (Hamstring Injury)
- Key Absence: Without Ademola Lookman (AFCON), the creative burden falls on Charles De Ketelaere.
Inter Milan:
- Calhanoglu H. — Questionable (Thigh – Late Fitness Test)
- Acerbi F. — Out (Muscle Injury)
- Dumfries D. — Out (Ankle Injury)
- Palacios T. — Out (Muscle Injury)
- Tactical Note: With Dumfries out, Matteo Darmian is expected to start at right wing-back.
Atalanta vs Inter Milan — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)
Atalanta
- 22/12 — 1–0 vs Genoa (Serie A)
- 14/12 — 2–1 vs Cagliari (Serie A)
- 10/12 — 2–1 vs Chelsea (UCL)
- 07/12 — 1–3 vs Verona (Serie A)
- 03/12 — 4–0 vs Genoa (Coppa Italia)
Inter Milan
- 20/12 — 1–2 vs Bologna (Super Cup – AET)
- 14/12 — 2–1 vs Genoa (Serie A)
- 10/12 — 0–1 vs Liverpool (UCL)
- 06/12 — 4–0 vs Como (Serie A)
- 04/12 — 5–1 vs Venezia (Coppa Italia)
Atalanta vs Inter Milan — Head-to-Head (Last 5 Meetings)
- 17/03/2025 — Atalanta 0–2 Inter
- 03/01/2025 — Inter 2–0 Atalanta (Super Cup)
- 31/08/2024 — Inter 4–0 Atalanta
- 29/02/2024 — Inter 4–0 Atalanta
- 04/11/2023 — Atalanta 1–2 Inter
Atalanta vs Inter Milan — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)
Atalanta (3-4-2-1)
Carnesecchi; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, De Roon, Ederson, Ruggeri; Samardzic, De Ketelaere; Retegui
Inter Milan (3-5-2)
Sommer; Pavard, De Vrij, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Zielinski, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez
Atalanta vs Inter Milan — Impact Bench
Atalanta: Pasalic (Late runs into box), Zaniolo (Game changer)
Inter Milan: Frattesi (Energy off bench), Taremi (Aerial threat)
Atalanta vs Inter Milan — Tactical Analysis
Atalanta
Gian Piero Gasperini’s side will rely on their trademark man-to-man pressing system. However, without the pace of Lookman on the counter, they might struggle to exploit the space behind Inter’s wing-backs. They will need Ederson and De Roon to win the physical battle in midfield to disrupt Inter’s rhythm.
Inter Milan
Inter have dominated this fixture recently (winning the last 5 meetings with an aggregate score of 14–1). Simone Inzaghi will look to control possession and use the width provided by Dimarco to stretch Atalanta’s back three. The key will be Lautaro Martinez dropping deep to pull Atalanta’s defenders out of position, creating space for Marcus Thuram to run into.
Atalanta vs Inter Milan — Key Battles
- Hien vs Martinez — Physical battle between stopper and elite striker
- Ederson vs Barella — The engine room duel that could decide the tempo
- Zappacosta vs Dimarco — Battle of the wing-backs
- Retegui vs Bastoni — Atalanta’s striker needs to hold up play against Italy’s best defender
Atalanta vs Inter Milan — Spotlight Players
Atalanta — Charles De Ketelaere
With Lookman away, the Belgian is the main creative spark. He needs to find pockets of space between Inter’s midfield and defense to create chances.
Inter Milan — Nicolo Barella
In the potential absence of Calhanoglu, Barella’s leadership and drive in midfield will be vital. He sets the intensity for the Nerazzurri.
Atalanta vs Inter Milan — Prediction
Atalanta 1–2 Inter Milan
Atalanta are in great form, but Inter have been their kryptonite in recent years. The Nerazzurri simply have too much quality and tactical discipline. Despite the Super Cup fatigue, Inter should have enough firepower to edge a tight contest in Bergamo.
Atalanta vs Inter Milan — Betting Insights
- Inter Milan to Win — Value Bet (Given H2H dominance)
- Both Teams to Score — YES
- Over 2.5 Goals — Likely
Atalanta vs Inter Milan — Where to Watch
- Italy: DAZN
- USA: Paramount+, CBS Sports
- UK: TNT Sports / OneFootball
Atalanta vs Inter Milan — FAQs
Q: When is the Atalanta vs Inter match?
A: The match kicks off on Sunday, 28 December 2025, at 20:45 CET.
Q: Is Ademola Lookman playing?
A: No. He is on international duty for AFCON 2025.
Q: Who is the favorite?
A: Inter Milan are the favorites due to their league position and dominant head-to-head record.
Call to Action — SportsphereArena Community
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