Serie A: AC Milan Can Add on to Atalanta’s Home Woes

Atalanta vs AC Milan

Atalanta and AC Milan have both enjoyed auspicious starts to their 2022-23 Serie A campaigns and they’re slated to a mouthwatering tiff at Bergamo on Sunday.

La Dea secured a 2-0 result over Sampdoria on the road, while AC Milan fought back after falling behind by one goal early to get a 4-2 win over Udinese.

AC Milan are still riding their winning streak in the league that dates back to the end of last season, so Atalanta are faced with the huge challenge of finally snapping their undefeated run.

Talking Points

Zero European football might put Atalanta back on track

Atalanta were brought back to Earth last term after a couple of Champions and Europa League appearances these past few seasons. By finishing eighth in the final standings, La Dea will no longer play European football, at least this season depending on their Serie A 2022 results.

Perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise that they won’t play in Europe this season, since it means that they can fully focus on Serie A without any distractions and because it would also reduce their risk of having injuries.

They can ill afford to lose players to injuries, especially since several players have departed the team in this ongoing transfer window.

Losing vice-captain Remo Freuler to Nottingham Forest was such a huge blow since he’s one of their top creative outlets, and he was followed by Robin Gosens (Inter Milan), Matteo Pessina (Monza), and Aleksei Miranchuk (Torino).

In return, they got Merih Demiral and Ademola Lookman – who made a great first impression last week when he scored a late goal to seal their opening day victory.

Unfortunately for team boss Gian Piero Gasperini, Demiral is unlikely to make his Atalanta debut just yet since he’s dealing with a knock. Davide Zappacosta is also doubtful for the same reason, while Jose Luis Palomino remains suspended after failing a doping test.

Duvan Zapata is one Atalanta player to look out for as he’s out to regain his form. The Colombian is on a major slump, only scoring once in his last 13 league games.

AC Milan’s youngsters are alright

With Zlatan Ibrahimovic out of action until next year and Olivier Giroud and Divock Origi not 100-per cent fit, AC Milan will rely on their young guns to provide the goals.

Rafael Leao was their top scorer last season with 14 goals and he’ll lead their frontline once more, while Brahim Diaz, Junior Messias, Sandro Tonali, Ismael Bennacer, and new recruit Charles De Ketelaere will all heavily feature throughout this year as well.

But the one x-factor for I Rossoneri is Ante Rebic, who didn’t play a huge role in their Scudetto run last term when he only scored three goals in all competitions. He has a chance to redeem himself this year and he’s off to a sparkling start – scoring twice against Udinese last Sunday.

History

Atalanta have lost each of their last three league matches against AC Milan after being undefeated in 10 of the last 11 (W4, D6). Should they lose again, it will mark the first time that they’ve suffered four consecutive defeats since a stretch between 1993 and 1996.

Playing at Bergamo hasn’t helped them much as they’ve only recorded four wins in front of their supporters last term. On the other hand, AC Milan’s six-game winning streak is their longest since 2006 when Carlo Ancelotti was still at the helm.

With Stefano Pioli on the bench, I Rossoneri have always won their first two league games of a season. They beat Bologna and Crotone in 2020/21 and they defeated Sampdoria and Cagliari last term. They’ll also aim to replicate their superb away record last season where they’ve won 14 of their 19 road matches.

La Dea have also won their first two league games of a season for only four times in their history, doing so in 1949/50, 1964/65, 2008/09, and 2020/21.

Betting Tip

AC Milan have the edge in the SBOTOP Serie A 2022 odds. The defending champions are priced to win at 2.50, but Atalanta are right behind them at 2.81 and chances for a draw are at 3.20 in the 1X2 market.

We will side for the visitors to grab a narrow victory here since Atalanta can barely buy a win on their home pitch, and of course because I Rossoneri are the defending champions.

With capable goalscorers from both calcios, this match has the makings of a shootout, although the safest alternative bet would be Total Goal 2-3 @ 1.97.

 

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