Inter coach Cristian Chivu admits his team are still far from perfect, though he does feel they are back on the right track ahead of their final fixture of 2025, against Atalanta.

The Nerazzurri visit New Balance Arena on Sunday, knowing a victory will ensure they remain top of Serie A at the turn of the year.

They enter this weekend's fixtures leading the Scudetto race with 33 points, though AC Milan, Napoli and Roma are all within three points of Chivu's men.

The former defender initially endured some teething problems upon taking the reins, with Inter suffering a surprise defeat to Fluminense at the Club World Cup then losing two of their first three Serie A fixtures in August.

They were also defeated by Bologna in the semi-finals of the Supercoppa Italiana last week, but as 2026 draws closer, Chivu is content with the progress his players are making.

"I never like to talk about myself," Chivu told reporters at his pre-match press conference. 

"After the end of last season, there were a difficult few months at the beginning of this campaign, but we've done everything we can to put ourselves back on the right track. 

"There are ups and downs, and we are not perfect. We're trying to improve, we've done some things well and others less well. 

"We are trying to remove certain defects on a collective and individual level. The team has to keep the same ambition."

Atalanta are ninth in the table, seven points adrift of the top four, having endured a difficult start to the campaign under former Southampton boss Ivan Juric.

Juric was sacked after just 15 games at the helm in November, but his successor, Raffaele Palladino, has overseen an immediate improvement, winning six of his first eight matches in charge.

"Games against Atalanta have always been tough. They built well under [Gian Piero] Gasperini and tried to maintain that same mentality that won them the Europa League," Chivu continued.

"They've found continuity under Raffaele. It's never easy against Atalanta with their intensity, verticality and man-to-man defence. We have to be brave, win the second balls, and try to be solid."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Atalanta – Gianluca Scamacca

Since the start of matchday 12, when Palladino made his debut in the Atalanta dugout, no player has scored more goals in the competition than Scamacca (four), level with Lautaro Martinez and Nikola Vlasic. 

Scamacca has scored two goals in his last two Serie A matches against Inter, in February 2022 and November 2023, after failing to score in his first two.

Inter – Lautaro Martinez

Martinez has been involved in nine goals in 12 Serie A appearances against Atalanta (seven goals, two assists); only against Salernitana (10) and Cagliari (13) has he had more goal involvements in the competition. 

The 26-year-old has also scored in each of his last three league games, with the last time he netted in more consecutive top-flight matches in a single calendar year coming between November and December 2021 (five straight games).

MATCH PREDICTION – INTER WIN

Inter have won their last six Serie A games against Atalanta and are unbeaten in their last 13 such matches (W8 D5). 

The last time they registered a longer run of consecutive victories against La Dea in the top-flight was in 1967 (eight straight wins on that occasion).

Atalanta have kept just two clean sheets in their last 27 home Serie A games against Inter, drawing 0-0 in April 2018 and January 2022. 

They have also failed to score in four of their last eight home matches against the Nerazzurri in the competition, so the omens are not good for Palladino's team.

Atalanta have won their last two Serie A home games, though, with both victories coming under Palladino. The only coach to have won each of his first three home matches in charge of La Dea was Carlo Alberto Quario in October 1963.

But Inter are looking to finish another year on a high, having won their final Serie A fixture in six of the last seven calendar years (D1). Atalanta have failed to win four of their last five such matches (D3), losing to Inter during this run in 2022.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Atalanta – 28.2%

Draw – 25.8%

Inter – 46%