[D-Kin]

Serie A Week 36 - 13/5/07 (14.00 UK)
Udinese - Atalanta

Stadio Friuli

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Udinese and Atalanta both seem to be fairly certain of a mid-table finish with only three matches remaining, but don’t expect either team to take things easy when they meet at the Stadio Friuli. European qualification is still a remote possibility for these two teams, but at least one of them is guaranteed to drop out of the race by the end of 90 minutes.

With Coach Alberto Malesani still fresh on the Zebrette bench, every player in the squad will know there could be big changes on the way this summer. Malesani will surely be looking to bring in some of his own players during the transfer market and the Bianconeri men will want to impress their boss in the final few games of the campaign. Udinese’s form has hit trouble after consecutive defeats to relegation candidates Catania and Cagliari, while their tough final fixtures against Milan and Palermo mean this will probably be many of the players’ best chance to prove their worth to the side.

A number of the Bianconeri’s lesser-used squad members look likely to have a chance to impress Malesani in this match too, thanks to Friuli outfit’s appalling disciplinary record. Four red cards in two weeks, plus an avalanche of cautions, means that the likes of Antonio Di Natale, Vincenzo Iaquinta, Aleksandar Lukovic, Andrea Coda and Giampiero Pinzi are all suspended. Add in the injuries to Damiano Zenoni, Felipe and Christian Obodo, and their team is likely to have an experimental look to it on Sunday. Tomas Sivok, Gaetano D’Agostino and Tomas Zapotocny should all feature, while Gyan Asamoah and Barreto are expected to start in attack.

Atalanta will be without influential defender Claudio Rivalta through suspension, while top scorer Cristiano Doni will miss out, along with youngster Marino Defendi, after undergoing surgery earlier this month. Argentine duo Leonardo Talamonti and Fernando Tissone should take their place for this game, while Riccardo Zampagna is expected to get the nod in the lone striker’s role ahead of Nicola Ventola and Christian Vieri.

The Orobici are the closer of the two sides to a place in Europe next season. Just five points behind Fiorentina and a place in the UEFA Cup, thanks to another Inter-Roma Coppa Italia Final freeing up an extra space, Nerazzurri Coach Stefano Colantuono will still see Europe as a target even if it is a distant one. While they have impressed in Bergamo, La Dea’s form on their travels will need to improve drastically if they are to have any chance of causing an upset in the race for Europe after failing to get on the scoresheet in their last two away trips to Empoli and Messina.

Man on fire: Sulley Ali Muntari (Udinese) – The Ghanaian international has covered for the absence of midfield partner Christian Obodo excellently in recent weeks and his eye for goal could be even more important with strikers Vincenzo Iaquinta and Antonio Di Natale both suspended for this game.

Last season: Not played

Form guide: Udinese (W W D L L) Atalanta (W L W D W)

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Udinese (probable): De Sanctis; Zapotocny, Natali, Zapata; Motta, Sivok, D’Agostino, Muntari, Dossena; Asamoah, Barreto

Atalanta (probable): Calderoni; Adriano, Talamonti, Carrozzieri, Bellini; Ferreira Pinto, Migliaccio, Donati, Ariatti; Tissone; Zampagna

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