Atalanta and Udinese are set to face off for the 82nd time in Serie A on Saturday. Le Zebrette have just edged those previous meetings, recording 27 wins, 26 defeats and 28 draws.
The most frequent outcome when these two teams meet is a 1-1 draw, which was also the result the last time this fixture was played at Bluenergy Stadium, back in November 2023.
Their most recent match-up was on 10 November 2024, with Atalanta triumphing 2-1 in Bergamo in what was the only time Kosta Runjaic and Gian Piero Gasperini have faced off.
Udinese go into this game having picked up eight points from their five previous matches – one more than their tally from the ten league fixtures prior to that.
Atalanta and Udinese hold the top two positions in a number of Serie A rankings this season: the most headed goals (9 Atalanta, 8 Udinese), the most goals scored from set pieces (8 Atalanta, 7 Udinese) and the most goals from crosses (10 Atalanta, 9 Udinese).
After Inter, they are also the two teams with the best difference between goals scored and expected goals (+8.8 Atalanta, +5 Udinese).
The league's top two scorers of headed goals in 2024/25 won't be involved on Saturday: Lorenzo Lucca (five) and Mateo Retegui (four) are unavailable due to suspension and injury, respectively.
The Udinese centre forward will be missing only his second game since joining Udinese – the previous occasion was in Udinese 1-2 Inter on 8 April 2024. His absence means that, should they play, Jesper Karlstrom and Kingsley Ehizibue will be Udinese's only remaining ever-presents in the current league campaign.
If Alexis Sanchez plays, it will be his 200th Serie A appearance, while Hassane Kamara – who scored in the reverse fixture earlier this season – could make his 50th.
Florian Thauvin was the man to provide the assist for Kamara in Bergamo on that occasion and the captain has already equalled his combined goals and assists total of last term. His next assist will take his tally to 50 in the top five European leagues.
Jordan Zemura meanwhile is the defender with the third-most successful dribbles in this season (19), behind Dodo and Nuno Tavares.
The Serie A Week 20 fixture will be officiated by Maurizio Mariani, whose last time in charge of Udinese was the 1-0 victory over Lecce at Bluenergy Stadium on 5 October 2024.
Atalanta have two former Udinese players in their ranks: Lazar Samardzic, who turned out 93 times for our club between 2021 and 2024, and Juan Cuadrado, who made 20 appearances between 2009 and 2011 but is unavailable at the weekend due to injury.
The last time Atalanta conceded a goal from a direct free kick was against Udinese – Gerard Deulofeu the scorer – in the 2-2 draw on 9 October 2022.