Atalanta vs Sassuolo: Lineups and kickoff time for opening round

Atalanta and Sassuolo face off this Sunday (23), at 3:45 PM (Brasília time), in the duel that opens the 2026 Italian Championship season. The match takes place in the territory of the Lombardy team, which seeks a positive debut under the command of Maurizio Sarri against a Sassuolo that returns to the top flight of Italian football after a campaign in the second division.

The teams' current form in pre-season

Atalanta arrives at the confrontation with mixed results in preparations. The team defeated Athletic Club and Schalke 04, but suffered a defeat to Feyenoord. The last commitment was a goalless draw against Hapoel Tel Aviv, in the UEFA Europa Conference League, a game that still leaves the spot open for decision at the Italian club's home. The team seeks consistency to transform its potential into a solid campaign from the start.

Sassuolo, for its part, comes off a 3-0 victory over Cesena in the Italian Cup, under the command of Alberto Aquilani. Despite this result, the pre-season was irregular, with defeats to Celta de Vigo and FC Augsburg. This fluctuation also marked the final stretch of the last edition of Serie A, where the team had three consecutive negative results.

Important absentees for the duel

Atalanta's lineup will suffer significant changes. Isak Hien, Honest Ahanor, and Giorgio Scalvini are out, which leads the coach to abandon the scheme with three center-backs. Kamaldeen Sulemana will also not play, while Eljif Elmas and Charles De Ketelaere are doubts for the match.

Sassuolo arrives with an extensive list of absences. Ismael Kone, who suffered a serious injury in the World Cup, will not be available. Fali Cande and Edoardo Pieragnolo are also out. Additionally, Sebastian Walukiewicz, Daniel Boloca, and captain Domenico Berardi are other expected absences for this debut.

Likely lineups

Atalanta should start with: Carnesecchi; Bellanova, Kossounou, Kristensen, Bernasconi; Ederson, Gaetano, Pasalic; Zalewski, Scamacca, Raspadori. The coach responsible for the team is Maurizio Sarri.

Sassuolo should line up: Muric; Cinquegrano, Macchioni, Idzes, Doig; Matic, Bakola; Volpato, Adzic, Lauriente; Bowie. The technical command is by Alberto Aquilani.

News on the squad and expectations

Atalanta seeks to surpass the seventh place of the last campaign, its worst position since the 2021/22 season. Despite the arrival of Sarri, the club had little movement in the market, keeping practically the same squad, except for the sale of Marco Palestra to Chelsea for around £50 million. The team won only one of the last eight official matches, causing concern with the offensive sector.

Sassuolo returns to Serie A seeking to surprise. The departure of defender Tarik Muharemović to Leeds United leaves a gap in defense, but the team arrives with the confidence of the Italian Cup victory. Analyses indicate that both attacks have conditions to score, while defenses are still looking for fit, a scenario that favors a lively game with goals from both sides.

With information from Odds Scanner, SportyTrader.