Atalanta vs Hellas Verona
Atalanta and Hellas Verona come into this Serie A game with a huge sense of urgency for two different reasons.
For Atalanta, they’re fighting to make it back to Europe next season, but they still have a long way to go since they’re in sixth place with 50 points, trailing by five against fifth-placed AS Roma.
Yes, they scored a huge upset win over Liverpool in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-finals tie. But overall, their Serie A 2024 results have been inconsistent, and that has to change.
Hellas Verona, on the other hand, are in the midst of a tight relegation battle. Right now, Marco Baroni’s side is in 17th place with 27 points, but they only have a one-point cushion over 18th-seeded Frosinone, and they are on a three-game winless run.
Talking Points
Scamacca firing for Atalanta
Gianluca Scamacca has hit a rich vein of goalscoring form for La Dea. He has scored six goals in his last seven appearances across all competitions, taking his total to 13 goals to lead the team in scoring this season.
Scamacca put in a great shift against Liverpool earlier this week. And because he was instrumental in the 3-0 victory, he was named the Europa League Player of the Week.
Before joining Atalanta, Scamacca was widely considered a major disappointment at West Ham United, who paid a £30.5 million transfer fee to get him because he was unable to establish himself under David Moyes.
Scamacca has now found a home with Gian Piero Gasperini, known for finding diamonds in the rough, as he has taken on the lead striker role vacated by Rasmus Hojlund, who left for Manchester United.
Besides Scamacca, Gian Piero Gasperini has other offensive weapons that he can rely on, such as Teun Koopmeiners, Ademola Lookman, and Charles De Ketelaere, who combined for 28 goals and 15 assists this season.
The only concern for Atalanta ahead of this match is their defence because Davide Zappacosta and Marten de Roon are suspended, while Giorgio Scalvini and Sead Kolasinac are nursing injuries.
Bonazzoli finding his footing at Hellas Verona
Federico Bonazzoli has turned it around lately for Hellas Verona, as he has thrived in the No. 9 role under Marco Baroni.
The 26-year-old centre-forward was loaned by I Gialloblu from Salernitana at the start of the season. However, he endured a rough start because he wasn’t given enough playing time, as he was behind Cyril Ngonge and Milan Đurić in the pecking order.
With Ngonge and Đurić no longer with the team, the starting No. 9 role was up for grabs. Tijjani Noslin and Michael Folorunsho had their chances, but with two goals and one assist in the last two games, the role is now Bonazzoli’s to lose.
For the Atalanta matchup, only two players are unavailable for Hellas Verona, as Juan Manuel Cruz is injured and Suat Serdar is suspended.
History
Atalanta defeated Hellas Verona 1-0 in their reverse fixture early this season, as Teun Koopmeiners found the back of the net in the 13th minute, courtesy of Marten de Roon’s assist.
La Dea have won eight of their last 11 Serie A matches against I Gialloblu (D1, L2) after failing to win each of the seven previous matches against them (D2, L5).
However, Hellas Verona have won two of their last three visits to Bergamo (D1), and overall, they haven’t lost in five of their last eight away games against Atalanta in Serie A (W3, D2).
Recent form is similar for these two sides, as Atalanta and Hellas Verona came from defeats last time out. Atalanta have won once, drawn once, and lost three times in their last five, while Hellas Verona have won twice, drawn once, and lost twice in the same period.
Betting Tip
The SBOTOP Serie A 2024 odds have Atalanta as the overwhelming favourites to win on Monday. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side is installed at 1.42, whereas Hellas Verona are 6.20 underdogs, and a draw is at 4.20 in the 1X2 market.
While the safe bet is the one we recommend above given what happened in their reverse fixture, we believe that there will be more goals to be scored by these two teams on Monday, making bets like Over 2.50 at 1.74 and Total Goal 2-3 at 1.96 worth considering. However, if you feel otherwise, then check out the Correct Score of 1-0 in favour of Atalanta – the result of their last league meeting – at 6.60, while the same result for Hellas Verona has a bigger payday of 18.00.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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