Serie A

Atalanta vs Fiorentina: Spark search

Both teams need a win to revive their season.

Atalanta and Fiorentina meet at the New Balance Arena as two of the season’s most underperforming sides try to turn things around. Atalanta, after Palladino’s debut in the defeat to Napoli – their third league loss in a row – want to rediscover their rhythm and close in on Europe again. Fiorentina, despite Vanoli’s arrival, are still without a win in this Serie A campaign and hope to finally break the spell and move away from the bottom of the table.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

There have been 70 official meetings between the two sides in Bergamo, with 24 Atalanta wins (most recent 3–2 in last season’s Serie A), 27 draws (most recent 2–2 in the 2019/20 Serie A) and 19 Fiorentina victories (most recent 3–2 in the 2023/24 Serie A). On 18 May 1996 Fiorentina won the Coppa Italia in Bergamo, beating the home Nerazzurri in the second leg of the final after a 1–0 win in the first leg at the Franchi. The return leg finished 2–0 to the Viola with goals from Amoruso and Batistuta. On 2 February 1964 Kurt Hamrin scored five goals in Bergamo in Atalanta 1–7 Fiorentina. It is still the only case in the history of the single-round Serie A in which a player has scored five goals in a single away match.

DID YOU KNOW?

Atalanta are the side with the most draws in Serie A 2025/26: 7 in 12 matchdays, level with Pisa. Atalanta have 13 points after 12 matchdays: they have not started worse since the 2014/15 season, when they had 10 points at this stage. That year they secured safety only in the closing rounds, finishing on 37 points in fourth-from-bottom place. Atalanta are the only team in Serie A 2025/26 yet to be awarded a penalty after 12 rounds. By contrast, Fiorentina are one of four sides to have had the most penalties given against them, 4 so far – along with Napoli, Milan and Udinese. Among teams that started a Serie A season with 20 clubs and 3 points for a win without a victory in the first 12 matchdays, the only one to avoid relegation was Cagliari in 2005/06, who finished 14th. The Sardinians earned their first win on matchday 13, 2–0 at home against Sampdoria with a Suazo brace, after already going through three coaching changes – from Tesser to Arrigoni, from Ballardini to Nedo Sonetti – with Sonetti masterminding the comeback that kept them in the division.

COACHES and PLAYERS

Between Raffaele Palladino and Paolo Vanoli, third official encounter: in the two previous meetings, the Nerazzurri manager is unbeaten with 1 win and 1 draw. First time as an ex for Palladino against Fiorentina: last year the coach from Mugnano di Napoli managed the Viola for 51 official matches with a record of 24 wins, 14 draws and 13 defeats.

DISCIPLINE

Suspended: none Cautioned: Pongracic, Ranieri (Fiorentina)

REFEREE

MARCENARO (CIPRESSA – LAUDATO) IV: SOZZA, VAR: CAMPLONE, AVAR: DOVERI

UPCOMING MATCHES IN SERIE A

Verona-Atalanta (Saturday, December 6, 20.45 CET) Sassuolo-Fiorentina (Saturday, December 6, 15.00 CET) (Photo Getty Images)