Atalanta kick off their Serie A campaign under the new stewardship of Maurizio Sarri with a heavily rotated lineup against a depleted Sassuolo side. The hosts are missing key names like Scalvini and De Ketelaere, while the visitors travel without talisman Domenico Berardi and…
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Sign inAtalanta begin a new era under Maurizio Sarri when they host Sassuolo in their 2026/27 Serie A opener on Sunday evening. The Round 1 fixture kicks off at 20:45 CET and marks the start of a fresh chapter for La Dea, who will be looking to put a turbulent previous campaign behind them and mount a serious challenge for the top four.
For the visitors, the task is to spring an early surprise and repeat the form that saw them beat Atalanta twice last season. Both sides head into the match with significant injury concerns that could shape the starting line-ups.
Maurizio Sarri’s first competitive team selection is complicated by several key absences. Defender Isak Hien remains in rehabilitation after undergoing surgery on a hamstring tendon in his left leg at the end of June, while winger Kamaldeen Sulemana is facing two to three months out with a second-degree medial collateral ligament injury in his left knee suffered against Schalke. Charles De Ketelaere is also sidelined with a leg problem.
There is better news regarding Éderson, however. The Brazilian midfielder stayed in Bergamo after his proposed move to Manchester United collapsed and is expected to start. Sarri is set to deploy a 4-3-3 system, abandoning the three-man defence that became Atalanta’s trademark under Gian Piero Gasperini, with Gianluca Scamacca leading the line and new signing Nicola Zalewski providing width.
Sassuolo have their own lengthy injury list. Midfielder Ismaël Koné — who scored against Atalanta in the teams’ last league meeting — underwent surgery for a broken leg in June and will be out long-term. Defender Fali Candé is also unavailable, while Daniel Boloca is a doubt with a knee problem. The biggest question mark hangs over Domenico Berardi. The club confirmed in mid-July that the Italian forward was following an individual programme because of an overload in his right ankle, and he missed the most recent pre-season matches.
Atalanta finished outside the Champions League places last season in their first campaign after Gasperini’s long tenure. A poor start under Ivan Juric left them languishing in mid-table before Raffaele Palladino steadied the ship and guided them to a Conference League spot. Palladino’s contract was not extended, paving the way for the experienced Sarri to take over following his acrimonious exit from Lazio.
Pre-season offered encouraging signs. Atalanta beat Schalke 3-0 with goals from Scamacca, Lazar Samardžić and Nikola Krstović, and edged Athletic Club 1-0 thanks to a second-half strike from Zalewski. The only setback was a 2-1 defeat to Feyenoord.
Andrea Pinamonti remains the focal point of Sassuolo’s attack, with Armand Laurienté providing pace and shooting ability from wide areas. Youngster Cristian Volpato found the net against Augsburg in pre-season, while the experienced Nemanja Matić adds steel and composure in the centre of the pitch. Darryl Bakola, who assisted Volpato in that same friendly, is another emerging talent to watch.
Sassuolo’s summer recruitment has been shrewd, bringing in Benjamin Dominguez from Bologna, Vasilije Adzic from Juventus, and Scottish striker Kieron Bowie from Hellas Verona to bolster the squad.
With Hien absent and Sarri still bedding in a new back-four system, much will depend on how quickly Atalanta’s defensive unit adapts. Gianluca Scamacca, the home side’s central attacking reference point, will be licking his lips at the prospect of facing a Sassuolo backline missing several regulars. If Berardi is unavailable, Sassuolo’s best form of defence may be to keep the ball and use Matić’s experience to control the tempo, starving Scamacca of service.
Atalanta’s midweek Conference League play-off against Hapoel Tel Aviv — managed just three days before this fixture — adds another layer of complexity to Sarri’s team selection, potentially forcing rotation in the season’s opening week.
A positive result here would give Sarri lift-off in Bergamo and set the tone for a campaign in which Atalanta are determined to return to Europe’s elite competition.
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