Atalanta vs. Como Serie A Match Postponed Due to Heavy Rain

Monday night’s Serie A match between Atalanta and Como has been temporarily delayed after a last-minute pitch inspection at the Gewiss Stadium.

With heavy rainfall in the region, the Gewiss Stadium pitch is not currently safe to play on, but ground staff are hard at work in an attempt to get tonight’s game on, although there is an increasing possibility that it will be called off.

The pitch is still waterlogged, and there is little to no bounce of the ball when thrown to the surface.

There will be an updated pitch inspection at 20.15 BST.

Atalanta-Como had originally been scheduled to kick off at 19.45. The Como squad had gathered in the tunnel and were prepared to play regardless of the conditions, but the referees have had to put safety first.

Como are particularly keen to get the game on, as they are targeting their first win of the Serie A season. Cesc Fabregas’s side are currently in 19th place with one point from their opening four matches of the campaign.

Atalanta could jump up to anywhere between sixth and fourth place in the table if they are to beat Como tonight.

Gian Piero Gasperini has made a handful of alterations to his Atalanta line-up against Como following a midweek visit from Arsenal in the Champions League, handing a full Serie A debut to summer signing Odilon Kossounou at centre-back.

There is no Ademola Lookman in the Atalanta line-up, as Charles De Ketelaere and Mario Pasalic have been selected as the support options for Mateo Retegui in attack.

There is also a start for Raoul Bellanova at right wing-back, with Davide Zappacosta moving over to the left flank and Matteo Ruggeri dropping to the bench.

Marten De Roon partners Ederson in midfield again, while Kossounou replaces Isak Hien in the back three.

Como and Cesc Fabregas, meanwhile, come into Monday night’s game off the back of a 2-2 draw with Bologna last weekend.

Fabregas has opted to make just one change to his starting line-up, bringing in Ignace van der Brempt in place of Alessio Iovine at right-back.

A win for Gasperini’s side will put them level on points with Juventus and Empoli, in fourth and fifth place respectively, but La Dea will need at least three goals to jump into fifth, and a minimum of six to end the night in the Serie A top four.

Como are still going in search of their first victory of the 2024-25 campaign, but will jump out of the relegation zone if they pick up three points in Bergamo on Monday night.

Atalanta vs. Como: Team Lineups

Atalanta (3-4-1-2): Carnesecchi, Kossounou, Djimsiti, Kolasinac; Bellanova, De Roon, Ederson, Zappacosta; Pasalic; De Ketelaere, Retegui.

Como (4-2-3-1): Audero; Van Der Brempt, Dossena, Kempf, Moreno; Sergi Roberto, Perrone; Strefezza, Nico Paz, Fadera; Cutrone.

The Story of Como 1907

The story of Como 1907 is as romantic as the scenery of the shores that it calls home.

The club was sent into bankruptcy twice in the past 20 years and was put up for auction back in 2017, but new investment brought the club back from the brink and completely changed its fortunes.

Now worth around €1 billion, Como is back in Serie A for the first time since 2003 and boasts some star power on its roster and in manager Cesc Fabregas.

And while there’s still a ways to go before Como establishes itself as one of the powers in Serie A, there are some encouraging signs in the club’s first four matches of the 2024-25 campaign.

Its 0-2-2 (W-D-L) record may look uninspiring, but the only lopsided result came on the road at Juventus in the season opener. Como posted a +1.3 expected goal difference in its other three matches this season.

Como's Underrated Talent

Another Champions League outfit, Atalanta, will host Como on Monday in the day’s lone Serie A contest. Atalanta is a robust -200 favorite at bet365 to win the match as of Monday morning.

There’s no question that Atalanta is in a different tier compared to Como, but this is a tricky schedule spot for La Dea.

They drew Arsenal, 0-0, in the Champions League last Thursday and have struggled to find their footing in the new campaign with two wins and two losses in their first four matches.

Como’s underlying metrics paint them as an underrated team, while Atalanta’s statistical profile and schedule spot make them a good fade candidate in the short term.

A Look at the Odds

THE PLAY: Como (+500, Bet365)

Michael Leboff handicaps the EPL, NHL, golf and anything else that isn’t the NFL and NBA for the NY Post. He’s up 49.73 units betting EPL with a 7.17% ROI.

The Game was Postponed

ATALANTA'S clash against Como has been postponed due to a torrential downpour.

The Serie A clash was set to kick-off at 19:45 - but everyone now has to come back at the same time tomorrow.

After a statement from league chiefs initially confirmed: “Atalanta vs Como has been delayed due to adverse weather conditions. Another pitch inspection will be carried out shortly.”

The players from both clubs had gone out onto the pitch to warm-up ahead of kick-off.

But the action was compared to “water polo” by one fan watching on.

The referee then carried out an inspection of the pitch by rolling the ball on the surface as the two captains watched on.

The ball struggled to move, getting stuck on the waterlogged grass and huge puddles also began to appear.

The referee decided the game should go ahead after a second inspection was carried out 15 minutes later.

But Atalanta skipper Maarten De Roon reportedly called the decision “madness” as the rain continued to fall.

After another discussion, the ref postponed the game until tomorrow as supporters inside the stadium were sent home.