Atalanta vs Sassuolo: Sarri’s First League Test Meets Aquilani’s New Beginning

Atalanta begin their Serie A campaign with a very different task from the one facing Sassuolo, but neither side can afford a slow start.
Maurizio Sarri is taking charge of Atalanta in his first Serie A match after replacing Ivan Jurić, with the club looking to improve on last season’s seventh-place finish.
Sassuolo, meanwhile, return to the top flight after their first season back among Italy’s elite ended in 11th place, and Alberto Aquilani is now responsible for pushing the project forward.
The visitors arrive with some confidence after a 3-0 Coppa Italia victory over Cesena, but their squad has been hit by several absences before the league opener.
Atalanta have also had an encouraging summer and drew 1-1 with Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Conference League playoff first leg before this match.
The opening night at the New Balance Arena therefore presents two coaches with different ambitions, but the same immediate requirement: establish control before the new campaign gathers momentum.

Sarri’s likely 4-3-3 places particular emphasis on midfield positioning and the ability of the wide players to stretch Sassuolo’s defensive block.
Lazar Samardžić, Gianluca Gaetano and Éderson are expected to provide the central platform, while Giacomo Raspadori and Gianluca Scamacca give Atalanta different ways of attacking the penalty area.
Sassuolo are also expected to use a 4-3-3, with Nemanja Matić offering experience in midfield and Armand Laurienté providing the main threat from the left side.
The interesting battle could develop when Sassuolo try to escape Atalanta’s pressure, because Aquilani’s side will need clean first passes to release Cristian Volpato and Laurienté into space.
Atalanta, meanwhile, can attack the channels around Sassuolo’s full-backs through Raspadori and Nicola Zalewski, potentially forcing the visitors’ midfielders deeper than Aquilani would prefer.
That makes the first twenty minutes particularly important: if Atalanta establish territorial control early, Sassuolo may spend much of the evening defending without the ball.

The pre-match reporting has focused heavily on the number of unavailable players rather than any shortage of attacking options.
Atalanta have welcomed Giorgio Scalvini back into the squad, while Honest Ahanor has not recovered and Thomas Kristensen remains unavailable, according to the latest local reporting from Bergamo.
Sassuolo’s problems are more extensive, with Andrea Pinamonti not called up and several defensive and midfield players absent as Aquilani prepares his first Serie A lineup.
Domenico Berardi is also still recovering and will not feature, removing the club’s most recognisable attacking figure from the opening assignment.
Italian previews consequently expect Sassuolo to rely heavily on Laurienté, Volpato and new striker Kieron Bowie, who is projected to make his Serie A debut.
The press picture is therefore less about predicting a result and more about whether Sassuolo can compensate collectively for the missing experience while Atalanta integrate Sarri’s ideas.

There is also an intriguing subplot surrounding Atalanta’s recent history with this opponent, because Sassuolo produced a convincing 3-0 victory at the New Balance Arena in the previous Serie A meeting between the clubs.
That result came with two goals from Berardi and another from Pinamonti, but neither player is available for this return visit, making the tactical circumstances considerably different.
Sarri will want Atalanta to control the match without becoming vulnerable to the counterattacks that made the previous meeting uncomfortable for the home side.
Aquilani’s challenge is almost the reverse: Sassuolo need enough possession to breathe, but their attacking players must also recognise the moments when a quick transition can expose Atalanta’s defensive structure.
Kick-off is scheduled for 20:45 CEST on Sunday 23 August at the New Balance Arena, with both coaches beginning their Serie A stories in a fixture that offers little room for experimentation once the ball starts moving.
The result will matter, but the more revealing question will be whether Sarri’s positional football or Aquilani’s more flexible approach can impose its rhythm first.

🩺 Squad Medical Bulletin

The injury picture is significant on both sides. Sassuolo’s official 2026 summer-retreat squad list confirmed Edoardo Pieragnolo, Fali Candé and Daniel Boloca were working separately because of injuries; current pre-match reporting adds several further absences. Atalanta’s latest match reporting confirms that Scalvini has returned to the squad, while Ahanor has not recovered and Kristensen is unavailable. The tables below therefore list only players reported as unavailable rather than inventing questionable statuses.

Atalanta — Current Injury / Availability List
Category	Player	Injury / Status
Out / Ruled Out	Honest Ahanor	Not recovered from adductor injury
Out / Ruled Out	Thomas Kristensen	Unavailable with injury
Out / Ruled Out	Charles De Ketelaere	Adductor muscle injury
Out / Ruled Out	Isak Hien	Unavailable with injury
Out / Ruled Out	Kamaldeen Sulemana	Unavailable with injury

Sassuolo — Current Injury / Availability List
Category	Player	Injury / Status
Out / Ruled Out	Andrea Pinamonti	Physical problem; not called up
Out / Ruled Out	Edoardo Pieragnolo	Injured
Out / Ruled Out	Fali Candé	Injured
Out / Ruled Out	Daniel Boloca	Injured
Out / Ruled Out	Ismaël Koné	Unavailable with injury
Out / Ruled Out	Sebastian Walukiewicz	Unavailable with injury
Out / Ruled Out	Domenico Berardi	Still recovering; unavailable

🟢 Probable Starting Sides

These are probable lineups, not confirmed starting XIs. Official team sheets are normally released shortly before kick-off. Current Italian reporting has Atalanta in a 4-3-3 and Sassuolo in a 4-3-3, although some outlets differ on individual selections.

Atalanta — Probable XI
Goalkeeper	Marco Carnesecchi	Goalkeeper
Defence	Davide Zappacosta	Right-back
Defence	Odilon Kossounou	Centre-back
Defence	Thomas Kristensen	Centre-back
Defence	Lorenzo Bernasconi	Left-back
Midfield	Éderson	Central midfield
Midfield	Gianluca Gaetano	Central midfield
Midfield	Mario Pašalić	Central midfield
Attack	Federico Cassa	Right wing
Attack	Gianluca Scamacca	Centre-forward
Attack	Giacomo Raspadori	Left wing

Sassuolo — Probable XI
Goalkeeper	Arijanet Muric	Goalkeeper
Defence	Simone Cinquegrano	Right-back
Defence	Tommaso Macchioni	Centre-back
Defence	Cas Odenthal	Centre-back
Defence	Josh Doig	Left-back
Midfield	Luca Lipani	Central midfield
Midfield	Nemanja Matić	Central midfield
Midfield	Darryl Bakola	Central midfield
Attack	Cristian Volpato	Right wing
Attack	Kieron Bowie	Centre-forward
Attack	Armand Laurienté	Left wing

🔎 Names and Tactical Levers to Follow

Atalanta — Key Personnel
Head Coach	Maurizio Sarri	Begins his Serie A tenure with Atalanta
Forward	Gianluca Scamacca	Central attacking reference
Midfield	Éderson	Important ball-winning and progression role
Forward	Giacomo Raspadori	Expected to attack from the left

Sassuolo — Key Personnel
Head Coach	Alberto Aquilani	Makes his Serie A debut on the Sassuolo bench
Midfield	Nemanja Matić	Experienced midfield organiser
Forward	Armand Laurienté	Primary wide attacking threat
Forward	Kieron Bowie	Expected to lead the attack

What the Pre-Match Picture Says

• New coaches: Maurizio Sarri and Alberto Aquilani begin their Serie A campaigns from opposite ends of the table’s expectations.
• Different tactical shapes: Current previews expect both teams to use a 4-3-3.
• Atalanta’s defensive issue: Giorgio Scalvini has returned to the squad, while Honest Ahanor and Thomas Kristensen remain unavailable.
• Sassuolo’s absences: Andrea Pinamonti, Domenico Berardi and several defensive/midfield options are unavailable.
• Coppa Italia momentum: Sassuolo opened their competitive season with a 3-0 win against Cesena.
• Kick-off: The match is scheduled for 20:45 CEST at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo.

Variation rule: This preview deliberately builds the story around the midfield and tactical consequences of the two 4-3-3 systems, with injuries introduced only after the match context has been established.

⚽Extended Highlights
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