Pisa’s return to the big time has been anything but a fairy tale. Alberto Gilardino’s men are currently languishing in the relegation zone, and their form at the Arena Garibaldi is particularly concerning. They have only managed to win once all season, and remarkably, they have scored just a single goal on home turf. That is a stat that would keep any manager awake at night. Still, they showed a bit of fight last weekend in a 2-2 draw against Udinese, with Henrik Meister and Matteo Tramoni showing they can actually find the net when things click. Whether they can repeat that against a much tighter defense is the big question.

The defensive situation for the Torri is not helped by the absence of veteran Antonio Caracciolo, who is out via suspension. They are also missing several key names like Juan Cuadrado and Raul Albiol through injury. It is a bit of a makeshift setup at the back right now. Can they really hold out against one of the most fluid attacks in Italy? It’s hard to say how this will end for them if they don’t find a way to stop conceding cheap goals. They have let in six goals in just three games since the turn of the year, which isn’t exactly a recipe for survival. That said, their high number of draws suggests they are at least difficult to put away completely.

On the other side of the pitch, Atalanta is flying. Since Raffaele Palladino took the reigns, the Bergamaschi have looked like a different beast. They have won three on the bounce in 2026, all while keeping clean sheets. Last week’s 2-0 win over Torino was a professional job, with Charles De Ketelaere finally getting back on the scoresheet. They look balanced, confident, and very dangerous on the counter. Even without the AFCON-bound Ademola Lookman, they have enough quality in depth to hurt teams. Free Serie A Predictions often point toward their consistency, and it is easy to see why given their current trajectory.

Palladino has managed to tighten things up at the back significantly, conceding only once in their last five league matches. That is a massive turnaround. Even with Berat Djimsiti likely sidelined, the return of Odilon Kossounou provides a huge boost to the defensive line. Up front, the likes of Gianluca Scamacca and Nicola Zalewski are expected to provide the spark. It feels like a squad that is finally pulling in the same direction. They are close to the top six now and have the momentum to push even higher. A trip to a struggling Pisa side looks like the perfect opportunity to keep that run going.

So, what should we expect on Friday night? It feels like a classic “top vs bottom” encounter where the form book tells a very one-sided story. Pisa is desperate for points but lacks the clinical edge at home to really frighten the visitors. Atalanta, meanwhile, is playing with the kind of swagger that suggests they expect to win every time they step onto the pitch. Could there be an upset? In football, you never say never, but the stats really do stack up against the hosts here. It might not be a high scoring blowout, but expect the visitors to control the rhythm and find the breakthrough eventually. That’s a bold move for Pisa to try and outplay them, but maybe sitting back is their only hope.