Serie A: Atalanta to Challenge Inter Milan at the Summit

Atalanta vs Inter Milan

A quick look at the Serie A calendar will tell you that the match between Atalanta and Inter Milan is the pick of the litter on the 11^th matchday of the 2023-24 season.

Inter Milan are currently at the top of the Italian top-flight standings with 25 points, while Atalanta are not far behind them, sitting as the fourth seed with 19 points.

These two sides are coming off positive Serie A 2023 results, with the Nerazzurri beating Torino (3-0) and AS Roma (1-0) last time out, whereas La Dea brushed aside lower-tier sides Genoa (2-0) and Empoli (3-0).

Even if the visitors have had the hosts’ number lately, SBOTOP football fans can expect a tight affair between these two well-drilled sides.

Talking Points

Cast-offs getting the job done for Atalanta

Gian Piero Gasperini’s uncanny ability to get the most out of his players has been on full display again.

Last year, it was Ademola Lookman who was transformed after underwhelming stints in England and Germany, and now it is the duo Gianluca Scamacca and Charles De Ketelaere who’s benefiting from Gasperini’s tutelage.

Scamacca, a highly-rated prospect from Sassuolo, signed a contract with West Ham United for an estimated £30 million in transfer fees.

However, since he has failed to make an impact there, he didn’t even get to see the second year of his five-year deal and was shipped to Bergamo, where he is now the team’s leading scorer with four goals.

Charles de Ketelaere is also out to prove his skeptics wrong after a difficult first season in Serie A with AC Milan, where he was often seen sitting on the bench. The young Belgian now has two goals and two assists thus far.

These two cast-offs have formed a strong partnership in the final third alongside midfielders Teun Koopmeiners, Ederson, and Ademola Lookman.

Overall, 12 different players have scored at least one goal for Atalanta this season, so it’s difficult for defences to pinpoint who will score La Dea’s next goal.

Martinez, Thuram spearheads league’s best offence

On the other side of the pitch, Inter Milan have Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram as their main attacking protagonists.

Lautaro Martinez has certainly embraced the responsibility of being the captain. This season, the Argentine international has come out of the big shadow of Romelu Lukaku, leading the team in scoring with 12 goals thus far.

Marcus Thuram, on the other hand, has five goals and five assists with the Nerazzurri, making him the fifth player to have recorded at least four goals and four assists in Europe’s top five leagues so far this season, along with Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins, and Julian Brandt.

And he had a Man of the Match performance most recently in their victory against AS Roma, so it’s fair to say he already acclimated well to his new team.

History

Inter Milan have yet to lose against Atalanta in their last nine Serie A encounters (W4, D5). Should they avoid yet another defeat this weekend, the Nerazzurri would match their longest undefeated run against La Dea (10 between December 1950 and March 1955).

Simone Inzaghi’s men beat Atalanta three times last season. In Serie A, Inter Milan notched back-to-back 3-2 victories, and they were responsible for cutting Atalanta’s Coppa Italia campaign short when they eliminated them in the quarter-finals 1-0.

After that, the Nerazzurri eventually won the Coppa Italia trophy, dispatching Juventus in the semi-finals and Fiorentina in the final.

Atalanta have drawn 11 of their previous 23 home games (W4, L8) against Inter Milan (alongside Udinese) here in Serie A. La Dea have now won at least six of their first 10 Serie A games in each of the last two seasons.

Betting Tip

Despite being known for their attacking prowess, Atalanta and Inter Milan have kept the most clean sheets throughout Europe’s top five leagues this season so far (seven each, level with Juventus and Nice), which is why we feel that this is going to be a grinded-out affair.

So, other than our recommended bet above, you might want to think about also going for Total Goals 0-1 at 3.70, while Correct Score 1-0 is priced at 7.80 in favour of Inter Milan and 10.50 in favour of Atalanta.

As for which team likely gets the maximum points, the Serie A 2023 odds gave Inter Milan the slight advantage because they are priced at 2.21, but Atalanta aren’t far behind at 2.98, and a draw is at 3.20 in the 1X2 market.

 

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