[2026-27 Italian Serie A] AC Monza vs Atalanta BC Preview Kick-off: November 8, 14:00 UTC
AC Monza have created chances despite losing their last three matches. Atalanta BC have gone six games without a win, but they have continued to create shooting opportunities. The key will be how each side defends after losing the ball, rather than how well they create chances.
1. Match overview and team form
Ivan Juric, coach of 18th-placed AC Monza, has said his side will attack Atalanta BC. He is prepared to take risks and make the game happen (TuttoMercatoWeb, November 7). Monza are expected to line up in a 3-4-2-1, with Gustavo Varela up front and Dany Mota and Jay Robinson behind him (Eurosport Italia, November 6). Varela has scored three of Monza’s four goals across their last three matches. Robinson’s crosses led to the equaliser against SSC Napoli and a late penalty against Bologna.
Their defeats cannot be explained by a lack of attacking threat alone. Mistakes in possession in their own half led to goals against Torino and SSC Napoli, while they lost track of runners from corners against Bologna and SSC Napoli. Six of the nine goals they have conceded in their last three matches came in the second half. Juric said Birindelli would miss out with a bruise (Fantacalcio, November 7), and Idrissa Touré is expected to start at right wing-back (Il Giorno, November 7). He will need to contain Jonathan Rowe and also get forward to deliver crosses.
13th-placed Atalanta BC play a 4-2-3-1 under Maurizio Sarri. They had 20 shots and 2.8 expected goals against Parma but lost 3-0. Against Kairat Almaty, they managed just one goal from 16 shots. They conceded from a corner and a cross against Parma, then lost the ball in attack just before conceding against Kairat. Three centre-backs, including Isak Hien, are out, as is Gianluca Gaetano, who had been linking play in the attacking midfield line. On the other hand, Éderson, Nicola Zalewski, Charles De Ketelaere and Nikola Krstović had their minutes managed in the previous match. That rotation also matters when weighing the schedule: AC Monza have had eight days off, while Atalanta BC play again after three. Atalanta BC’s six straight wins in this matchup came between 2022 and 2025, before either manager took charge.
2. Matchup analysis
The first battle is AC Monza’s build-up against Atalanta BC’s pressing and ball-winning. If Monza play out from the back as Juric has promised, they risk repeating the possession errors seen against Torino and SSC Napoli. Atalanta BC turned an opponent’s midfield turnover into the opening goal against ACF Fiorentina. If De Ketelaere and Zalewski receive the ball in advanced positions, Monza’s defenders will have to turn and track the attack. But if Monza play through the press, Mota and Robinson can receive the ball between the lines and run in behind Atalanta BC’s defence.
The second battle is Monza’s crossing against Atalanta BC’s wide defence. Varela headed in a Robinson cross against SSC Napoli. Atalanta BC scored an own goal while trying to clear a cross from the right against Parma, and they lost a runner at the far post against ACF Fiorentina. If Monza’s wing-backs and attacking midfielders push down the flanks together, they can put Atalanta BC’s full-backs under pressure. But if Rowe and Bernasconi attack first down Monza’s weakened right side, the wing-back there will spend more time defending. That would leave fewer crosses for Varela.
Both teams also need to be alert at corners. AC Monza conceded from corners against Bologna and SSC Napoli, while Atalanta BC did so against Parma. Atalanta BC scored from a Zalewski corner, finished by Krstović, against Kairat Almaty. If Monza fail to win the second ball, they will have to defend another attack in their own half.
3. Verdict and conclusion
If AC Monza come out to play as promised, Atalanta BC will get a different kind of opportunity from the ones they have had recently, when they kept shooting in front of a settled defence. Monza could give them a chance to attack close to the penalty area after a mistake playing out or a lost second ball. We expect Atalanta BC to win, but Varela’s threat from crosses and Monza’s late push remain factors. We expect both teams to score, with the margin at one goal.
The market puts weight on Atalanta BC’s past head-to-head record and Monza’s three-game losing streak. We see that head-to-head record as limited in relevance. The managers and defensive setups have changed, so Atalanta BC’s advantage comes from the conditions in this match: they can target Monza’s willingness to build from the back. Still, if Monza cut out their mistakes in possession and track their opponents at corners, Atalanta BC’s recent finishing problems could change the result.
[Final picks · By market · Betman listings] Full-time result: Away win. Juric’s promised build-up could combine with Monza’s repeated mistakes in possession to give Atalanta BC chances close to the penalty area. Handicap +1: Draw. Monza have continued to find ways to score, and Atalanta BC, missing three centre-backs, may struggle to contain Varela’s finishing from crosses throughout the match. Over/Under 3.5: Over. Both teams’ routes to goal line up with the other side’s defensive weaknesses, and Monza will not sit deep.
