Related match lands on Thursday night with Fiorentina badly needing a response. They are 18th in Serie A with 4 points after 8 matches, have lost 6 of their first 8 league games, and go into the game under real pressure after a poor start.
Paolo Vanoli's position at Fiorentina is not simple, with the Viola who, after the latest disappointing results, are called to reverse course against Atalanta. That is the mood around the home side, and it is hard to argue with it when they have only 1 win in 8 league games.
Fiorentina's home record
The Franchi has not offered much comfort either. Fiorentina are winless in 7 Serie A home games dating back to the end of last season, which leaves this fixture feeling more like a reset chance than a normal league night.
Atalanta's return to Florence is not exactly cushioned by their own numbers. They sit 11th with 10 points after 8 matches, have already lost 4 of their first 8 league games, and have taken just 4 points from their last 6 league matches.
Atalanta's squad news
Maurizio Sarri has named Giorgio Scalvini and Kamaldeen Sulemana in the squad for the trip to Florence. Sky Sport Italia also project Fiorentina in a 4-3-2-1 and Atalanta in a 4-2-3-1, but the bigger issue is the condition of the visitors' defence.
Atalanta are missing Sead Kolasinac, Isak Hien, Odilon Kossounou and Raoul Bellanova, and they have conceded 14 goals in their last 6 league matches. That is a poor run for a side trying to steady itself, even with Scalvini and Sulemana back in the group.
Calciomercato.it framed the fixture as one that forces Fiorentina to change course, and that is fair enough. The pressure is not identical on both sides, though. Fiorentina's start is the more alarming one, while Atalanta arrive with enough problems of their own that a settled performance would still matter on Thursday 29 October at 20.45.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
