Atalanta will close 2023 hosting Lecce at the Gewiss Stadium: the Salento team land in Bergamo after their latest away setback against Inter.
Out of the 26 previous Serie a encounters, how many wins have Atalanta claimed?
As the 27th top-flight clash between the Orobici and the Salentini takes place this Saturday, the scales are tipped in Atalanta’s favour on the grounds of the 10 black-and-blue wins, against the 8 victories claimed by the Apulian Giallorossi and the 8 draws. Broadening the scope also to the Serie B would only increase the bridge between the two teams, increasing the number of Orobic victories to 19 (against the 17 draws and the 12 wins from Lecce).
Which team counts more former players within its ranks?
Luis Muriel moved his first Serie A steps as a Salentino: after his arrival in Italy at the hands of Udinese, Lucho made his Serie A debut with Lecce, to whom he was loaned by the Furlan club in the 2011/12 season, accruing 29 appearances and 7 goals in the process. Despite playing only 48 minutes so far on aggregate against his former team, Muriel had nonetheless found his scoring ways as he slotted one goal during the Atalanta-Lecce match played back in 2020 and culminated in a 2-7 away win.
The Lecce roster, on the other hand, comprises Roberto Piccoli: a through-and-through Bergamasco born and bred in the Zingonia Academy, Piccoli played 15 Serie a matches for the First Team between 2019 and 2022, scoring his only goal to vanquish Torino back in August 2021. During his loan spell at Spezia, Roberto also exacted the infamous “ex’s law”, scoring against Atalanta at the Gewiss Stadium back in March 2021.
Who did not score his first Serie A goal against Lecce?
It was right against Lecce when Domenico Morfeo handed his calling card to the world of football: despite having already made his Serie A debut against Genoa a few weeks earlier, he truly came into his own in an Atalanta v Lecce match. Subbed in on 75 minutes by coach Cesare Prandelli for Perrone with the Salentini momentarily leading 1-3 up, it just took the 18-year-old wonder kid 6 minutes to hurl a left-footed drive past Gatta and 6 more to cleave the ball into the top corner from a free-kick situation. Despite Lecce having the last laugh in full stoppage time, Morfeo truly hogged the spotlight with those 15 minutes of brilliance.
Likewise, Giampaolo Pazzini also found his scoring debut in the Serie a against Lecce. After climbing his way through the Academy ranks, the 84s’ striker started making a name for himself in the 2003/04 season scoring 9 Serie B goals. After featuring the scoresheet three more times in the two-legged Coppa Italia round against Albinoleffe, it was finally high time for his Serie A debut: a starter in Atalanta’s seasonal debut, Pazzini gave the Nerazzurri the lead only two minutes after kick-off. The match would then culminate in a 2-2- draw.
While Luis Muriel scored his Serie A first against Napoli, Lucho took his first bow as a Lecce player.
