Atalanta vs Palermo preview - Achraf Lazaar eager for strong end

Palermo defender Achraf Lazaar has demanded a strong finish to the year from his team-mates when they face Atalanta in Bergamo on Sunday.

The Sicilians go into the match at the Atleti Azzurri d'Italia stadium on the back of a 2-1 triumph over Sassuolo.

Last weekend's outcome was Palermo's fifth victory of the campaign and lifted Giuseppe Iachini's side to 10th place, nine points clear of the drop zone.

"We want to end the year in the best possible way," Lazaar told Gazzetta dello Sport. "A win on Sunday would be an important result for us.

"We know Atalanta is a difficult team to beat.

"We have done a good job so far and we are optimistic we can do well in the future.

"However, we must keep our feet firmly on the ground."

Palermo gained promotion to Serie A earlier this year after finishing top in Serie B last season.

The islanders have won just once the road so far, a 2-0 triumph at AC Milan on November 2.

Atalanta coach Stefano Colantuono expects an improved performance from his players this weekend after Saturday's disappointing display at Lazio.

Colantuono's men lost 3-0 to drop to 16th position, just two places and two points clear of the relegation zone.

"Against Lazio we not only struggled in attack but we also had a bad day defensively," Colantuono said. "But we must react and do better in our next game.

"We cannot forget that prior to our defeat at Lazio, we had only conceded one defeat, against Roma, in our last six games."

Lack of goalscoring has been Atalanta's biggest problem this season, with the Bergamaschi having the weakest attacking line in Serie A with just eight goals scored in 15 games.

Italian veteran striker German Denis, who has found the back of the net just once so far, will lead Atalanta's attack.b