Como welcome Atalanta to the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia on Sunday afternoon, 1 February, in a Lombardy derby between two sides chasing European football. Cesc Fabregas's hosts sit sixth with 30 points from 17 matches, while Raffaele Palladino's visitors occupy third place and remain firmly in the title race. The newly-promoted Lariani have exceeded expectations this season, but Atalanta's pedigree in big matches makes them slight favourites despite travelling away from Bergamo.
Como have hit remarkable form in January with three wins from their last five league matches. A stunning 6-0 demolition of Torino on 24 January followed an impressive 3-0 victory at Lazio five days earlier, showcasing their attacking prowess under Fabregas. The only setback came in a 3-1 home defeat to AC Milan, though the team bounced back immediately. Nico Paz has been instrumental in midfield, while Patrick Cutrone leads the line following Álvaro Morata's adductor injury that keeps him sidelined until March. Striker Tasos Douvikas also faces a late fitness test after suffering an ankle problem in the Coppa Italia.
Atalanta arrive in strong form with four wins from their last five matches across all competitions. Palladino has steadied the ship since replacing Ivan Jurić in November, guiding La Dea from 13th to the top three. Victories over Roma, Bologna, Genoa, and Cagliari have been punctuated only by a narrow 1-0 defeat to league leaders Inter. Gianluca Scamacca is gradually returning to full fitness after nearly a year out with a knee ligament injury, though Kamaldeen Sulemana remains unavailable with an adductor strain. Ademola Lookman and Charles De Ketelaere provide creativity in the final third.
The reverse fixture at Gewiss Stadium in October ended 1-1, with Lazar Samardžić's early opener cancelled out by Máximo Perrone's swift equaliser. Last season's meetings saw Atalanta edge a 2-1 victory at this venue, though Como memorably won 3-2 in Bergamo. Both teams have shown they can hurt each other, with ten goals across their last three encounters.
I'm backing Both Teams To Score at 1.70. Como have scored in 8 of their last 10 home matches, while Atalanta have found the net in 14 of 17 league games this season. The hosts have conceded in 5 of their last 6 Serie A fixtures, and Atalanta have kept just 2 clean sheets in their past 8 away outings. The xG projection (1.84–1.02) supports a 2-1 finish.
