Andrea Stramaccioni is unbeaten in the month of April during his time at the helm of Inter, the only professional club where he has coached the first team. He has recorded five wins and two draws in seven April outings, earning him an average of 2.42 points per game. His only better months percentage-wise are October (four wins in four) and August (one win in his only game).

Stramaccioni's men have failed to hit the back of the net just once in their last 19 matches played on home turf. That was on 10 March, when they were beaten 0-1 by Bologna. In the other 18 games in this period the Nerazzurri have struck 36 times.

Inter have collected fewer bookings than any other Serie A outfit in the current league campaign: just 64. Atalanta, on the other hand, sit joint top of the yellow card table level with Cagliari on 87.

Atalanta are just one win away from making it 500 victories in the Italian top flight since it became a unified national championship in 1929. The first of their 499 dates back to 4 November 1937: a 1-0 home success over Lucchese, with Schiavi grabbing the game's only goal in the 49th minute. The original fixture on 24 October 1937 had been suspended in the 66th minute due to a violent downpour, with the scores at 1-1.

Should he feature tonight, Michele Canini will be making his 200th career appearance in Serie A. The defender has clocked up his 199 top-flight games wearing the colours of Cagliari, Genoa and Atalanta. He made his Serie A debut on 28 August 2005, in Siena 2-1 Cagliari.

MILAN - Atalanta came away victorious from the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza after an incredible match, or rather an incredible second half. Inter v Atalanta ended 3-4, with the team from Bergamo receiving a non-existent penalty.

It was a balanced first half but Inter were once again struck by bad luck: just past the half hour mark Cassano was forced to leave the pitch for a muscle problem and Alvarez came on in his place. Rocchi was now leading the attack and on 43 minutes he put Inter ahead from Pereira’s corner when he connected with the outside of his right to beat Polito. It was his first goal for Inter and his 100th in the Serie A.

On 56 minutes Atalanta found the equaliser when Bonaventura controlled Livaja’s cross and lifted the ball into the net. Not even a minute had passed, however, before Inter were back in front, as Alvarez capitalised on an error from Canini and headed the ball home. On 61 minutes the Argentine made it a brace with a left-footer. In the 65th minute the referee awarded an inexplicable penalty to Atalanta, which Denis duly converted. Six minutes later Denis added his second when he dribbled past Ranocchia and banged in his shot off the inside of the post. The big Argentine centre forward made it a hat trick on 77 minutes when he anticipated Samuel to tuck away Bonaventura’s cross. Raimondi was sent off in injury time. Then in minute 94 Ranocchia missed a glorious chance from close range after Guarin’s deflected cross fell right to him. Tensions ran high after the final whistle. Inter remain with 50 points in the standings.


Inter 3-4 Atalanta (HT: 1-0)
Scorers: Rocchi 43, Bonaventura 56, Alvarez 57, 61, Denis 65 (pen.), 71, 77.

Inter: 1 Handanovic; 23 Ranocchia, 25 Samuel, 40 Juan Jesus; 4 Zanetti, 10 Kovacic, 19 Cambiasso (Schelotto 41), 31 Pereira; 14 Guarin; 99 Cassano (Alvarez 32), 18 Rocchi.
Unused subs: 27 Belec, 30 Carrizo, 6 Silvestre, 17 Kuzmanovic, 24 Benassi, 28 Pasa, 45 Forte, 47 Colombi, 55 Nagatomo.
Coach: Andrea Stramaccioni.

Atalanta: 16 Polito; 2 Stendardo, 5 Scaloni, 10 Bonaventura, 13 Canini, 17 Carmona (Livaja 54), 19 Denis (Cazzola 83), 21 Cigarini, 77 Raimondi, 83 Del Grosso (Brivio 74), 88 Biondini.
Unused subs: 78 Frezzolini, 8 Radovanovic, 9 Troisi, 18 Giorgi, 22 Contini, 23 Brienza, 28 Brivio, 32 Ferri, 91 De Luca, 99 Parra.
Coach: Stefano Colantuono.

Referee: Andrea Gervasoni (Mantova).

Booked: Kovacic 5, Scaloni 85, Biondini 88.
Sent off: Raimondi 90+1.
Recovery: 1 + 4 minutes.
Attendance: 38,935.

starting lineups

substitutes