At Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, Europe is the word on everyone’s lips. Como vs Atalanta is not a title decider, but it is very much a European showdown: sixth against seventh in Serie A, separated by just five points as the league enters Round 23. The hosts sit on 40 points, currently in the slot earmarked for a Conference League qualification place, while Atalanta chase on 35, knowing a win on the lake could drag them right back into the continental conversation.
Both arrive in good shape. Como’s recent league form reads “WWLDW”, a run that has solidified their surprise push into the top six. Atalanta, meanwhile, are quietly one of the form sides in the division with “WDWWW” in their last five, Gian Piero Gasperini’s men rediscovering their familiar late‑winter surge. Add in a recent history of tight, dramatic meetings between the sides, and Sunday’s clash feels like a potential turning point in the race for Europe.
Form Guide & Season Trends
Como’s season has been built on an impressive blend of control and defensive resilience. Across 22 league matches they have 11 wins and only 4 defeats, scoring 37 times and conceding just 16. That goal difference of +21 is the second-thing you notice; the first is how hard they are to break down. At home they have turned Sinigaglia into a genuine stronghold: 6 wins, 4 draws and just 1 defeat, with 20 goals scored and only 7 conceded. An average of 1.8 goals for and just 0.6 against per home game underlines the balance in their approach.
Their statistical profile backs that up. Como have kept 11 clean sheets in 22 matches, six of those at home, and they have failed to score at Sinigaglia only once all season. The biggest home win, a 6–0 demolition, shows what happens when their attacking patterns click, while the heaviest home loss (1–3) has been an outlier rather than a trend. With a longest winning streak of three and no prolonged slumps, this is a side that has found consistency surprisingly quickly at this level.
Atalanta’s story is slightly different but just as compelling. They have 9 wins, 8 draws and 5 defeats from their 22 games, scoring 30 and conceding 20. Away from Bergamo they are solid rather than spectacular: 3 wins, 4 draws and 3 losses, with 12 scored and 11 conceded. They average 1.2 goals for and 1.1 against on the road, pointing to tight, often cagey away performances.
Yet there is a familiar Atalanta edge in the details. They tend to grow into games, with a significant share of their goals arriving after the half-hour mark and particularly late: 8 of their 30 league goals have come between minutes 76–90. Defensively, though, they can wobble in those same late phases, with 5 of their 20 goals conceded also coming in the final quarter-hour. Clean sheets in 8 of 22 matches show they can shut teams down, but the away record suggests they rarely dominate on their travels. This looks primed for a tactical arm‑wrestle rather than a runaway.
Head-to-Head History
Recent history between Como and Atalanta suggests fine margins and plenty of drama. Their most recent Serie A meeting, back in October in Bergamo, ended 1–1 – a result that felt about right in a contest where neither side truly managed to impose themselves for long stretches.
Last season delivered two thrillers that still shape the psychology of this rivalry. In September 2024, Como stunned Atalanta at the Gewiss Stadium with a 3–2 away win, overturning expectations and announcing themselves as more than just plucky underdogs. Atalanta responded in January 2025 with a 2–1 victory at Sinigaglia, coming from behind after trailing 1–0 at half-time. Across those three recent league meetings, both teams have scored every time, and none of the games have been decided by more than a single goal.
If you look further back, Atalanta’s 4–0 win in a 2022 friendly hints at the gulf that once existed between the clubs. That gap has clearly closed. The modern pattern is of evenly matched, high‑stakes encounters where momentum swings and late goals are common. Fans heading to Sinigaglia can reasonably expect another tense, possibly high‑energy contest rather than a cagey stalemate.
Team News & Key Men
Como do have some concerns. A. Diao is ruled out with a thigh injury and E. Goldaniga is sidelined by a heel problem, trimming depth in key areas. More worrying is the status of Anastasios Douvikas, one of their main attacking weapons, who is listed as questionable with an injury. If he is not fit enough to start, it will alter the dynamic of their forward line.
Even so, the hosts retain serious quality. Nicolás Paz has been one of the breakout stars of the Serie A season. The 21‑year‑old midfielder leads Como with 8 goals and 6 assists from 22 appearances, pulling the strings between the lines and carrying a constant threat from distance and late runs into the box. His 40 key passes and 54 shots underline how central he is to everything Como create. If Douvikas does make it, his own 8 goals in just 12 starts show the penalty‑box instinct that can punish any lapse in Atalanta’s back three.
Atalanta arrive with their own absences. Left-sided defender M. Bakker is out with a knee injury, while R. Bellanova is missing through injury as well, depriving Gasperini of two athletic wide options. That could force tweaks to his usual wing‑back rotations and test the depth of his squad in those crucial channels.
Up front, though, the Bergamo side still carry a formidable punch. Nikola Krstović has 6 goals and 4 assists from 18 appearances, offering mobility and link play, while Gianluca Scamacca matches him with 6 league goals of his own. Between them they give Atalanta a blend of aerial presence, hold‑up play and penalty‑area menace. In a game likely to be decided by small details, their ability to convert half‑chances could be decisive.
Everything points towards a tight, high‑quality contest with European implications. Como’s home form and defensive record make them slight favourites at Sinigaglia, especially if Paz can dictate the tempo and at least one of their main forwards is available. Atalanta, though, are in excellent form and have the attacking tools to exploit any rare cracks in Como’s back line, particularly late on.
Expect a tactical battle that opens up in the second half, with both sides trading spells of pressure. A draw would surprise nobody, but on current trends Como may just have the edge, especially if they strike first and force Atalanta to chase.
