Football Italia
·18 December 2024
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·18 December 2024
Gian Piero Gasperini will rotate his Atalanta squad for a Coppa Italia match against Cesena, starting 19-year-old talent Marco Palestra, experienced keeper Rui Patricio and Nicolò Zaniolo as a centre-forward.
It kicks off at 18:30 CET (17:30 GMT) at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo.
Matteo Ruggeri, Giorgio Scalvini and Gianluca Scamacca are injured, while Juan Cuadrado is suspended for La Dea.
Multiple sources, including Sky Sport Italia, claim Rui Patricio will start in goal and Nicolò Zaniolo will get the nod as a lone striker, supported by Marco Brescianini and Lazar Samardzic.
Marten de Roon and Ederson battle for a starting spot in central midfield, where one of them will join Mario Pasalic.
Gasperini is expected to start emerging talent Palestra on the right wing, with Davide Zappacosta on the opposite flank.
The winner will face Bologna in the quarter-finals in February.
The match will be shown live on Premier Sports 1 in the UK and Paramount+ in the USA. The game is also available for free in Italy on Italia Uno.
Atalanta (3-4-1-2): Rui Patricio; Toloi, Djimsiti, Kossounou; Palestra, de Roon, Pasalic, Zappacosta; Samardzic, Brescianini; Zaniolo.
Cesena (3-5-2): Pisseri; Curto, Ciofi, Pieraccini; Adamo, Francesconi,Mendicino, Bastoni, Celia; Van Hooijdonk, Tavsan.