Parma vs Atalanta

Looking for a seventh consecutive Serie A victory, Atalanta BC will look to carry on from where they left off before the break when they make their way to Parma this on Saturday.

Before the eighth round, the Bergamaschi arrive to the Stadio Tardini as the main title contenders thanks to the fact that there is only one point that separates them from the Scudetto competition.

Key team: Europa League title holders and a member of the regularly Italian top six this season could be the atalanta’s best title winning season run after a great form early in October right up to the break.

Picking the league leaders Napoli in early November, La Dea then inched a point closer to the top eight of the Champions League before completing a round of Serie A.

Gian Piero Gasperini’s team recorded the sixth consecutive Serie A victory to beat UD at halftime, leaving them second – only two points behind the top six teams.

Sit just two shy of their club record of setting a new top-flight record of nine consecutive victories Atalanta have so far amassed 31 goals in as many league fixtures, with Ademola Lookman and Mateo Retegui in their ranks.

Also, they have done well to keep things tight at the other end; to concede as little as one goal in the Champions League, the Nerazzurri have also won both their last two away games in the Serie A, with a clean sheet; and all this due to the young Swedish central defender, Isak Hien.

And since both sides were able to max out the points they gained on their previous six encounters with Parma, tradition will also be in their favor the moment the matches continue this weekend.

Yes, Parma have lost their last three home games against Atalanta, which is one failure more than in the previous 18 and which presented in perfect manner the changes which occurred with these two teams.

After winning Serie B the previous season, the Gialloblu are just attempting to survive in Italy's top division this season.

Fabio Pecchia's team picked up three valuable points away to rock-bottom Venezia just before international football stepped in, after losing to fellow strugglers Genoa to stop a run of four straight draws.

Pecchia and his youthful team experienced some sweet relief when they pulled off a comeback victory at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo thanks to goals from Emanuele Valeri and French striker Ange-Yoan Bonny.

That win not only lifted Parma out of the drop zone, but it was also their first since August, when they had essentially allowed 12 points to elude them.

The Emilian team has only won one of their seven home games in Serie A and the Coppa Italia, in part because of their carelessness.

Gianluca Scamacca and Giorgio Scalvini, both projected to return early from their individual ACL injuries, will be available to Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini sooner than anticipated. Scalvini will start on the bench against Parma.

The Bergamaschi have jumped into the Scudetto battle and are only one point away from first place as they head to Stadio Tardini.