Nikola Krstovic’s season is beginning to demand a larger place in Atalanta’s story. His two goals and assist on Monday evening underlined a sharp spell that has carried from international duty back into Serie A, giving Maurizio Sarri a welcome selection problem at centre-forward rather than a shortage of solutions.
Key takeaways
- Krstovic has scored four times in 17 days, across five appearances, at a rate of one goal every 107 minutes excluding added time.
- His Monday contribution for Atalanta consisted of a brace and an assist against Venezia.
- The Montenegro striker has now reached 11 Serie A goals in the 2026 calendar year.
- He and Gianluca Scamacca are closely matched for league minutes: 281 for Krstovic and 259 for Scamacca.
- Montenegro took 10 points from four matches during the break, leaving them close to Nations League promotion to League B.
A forward line taking shape
Sarri selected Krstovic from the start against Venezia after seeing him at Zingonia in the limited time available following the international break. It was only the second league start handed to the Montenegrin by the Atalanta coach, following his inclusion against Juventus before the pause.
Scamacca was left on the bench on Monday, a decision that moved Krstovic narrowly ahead in Serie A playing time. The competition remains finely balanced, but both forwards are producing: Krstovic has four goals for club and country in the current run, while Scamacca has scored three.
For Sarri, the issue is therefore one of fitting the most effective attacking design around two strikers who are finding the net regularly. Krstovic’s work against Venezia made the argument in the direct manner that has characterised much of his career: two finishes, plus the pass for another goal.
Before returning to Bergamo, he had also delivered an assist for Montenegro against Cyprus. He started all four of his country’s matches during the break, with three wins and one draw ensuring an unbeaten sequence worth 10 points. Montenegro are now within reach of moving up into Nations League B.
Goals have followed him through each stage
The 2026 calendar-year table offers another measure of Krstovic’s momentum. His double on Monday took him to 11 league goals, placing him among the five players already in double figures. Only Donyell Malen of Roma, on 20, and Inter pair Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez, both on 12, together with Como’s Tasos Douvikas on 12, stand above him.
There is little surprise in the scoring record itself. Krstovic previously finished as leading scorer in both Montenegro and Slovakia, registering 17 goals for Zeta and 18 for Dunajska Streda. His two seasons at Lecce brought 20 goals, earned through an ability to make limited chances count in Salento.
That record persuaded Atalanta to sign him in the summer of 2025 as Mateo Retegui’s replacement. Sarri had already made clear in August that Krstovic should not be viewed merely as a dependable understudy, describing the striker as fiercely driven and deserving of opportunities.
Two months on, Krstovic is providing the practical answer. Atalanta’s forward hierarchy may not yet be settled, but the Montenegrin has made it harder for Sarri to leave him outside the central plot.
