Serie A: The Falling Goddess Needs Salvation

Atalanta vs AC Milan

Atalanta host AC Milan in the Serie A match of the day on Saturday, and the hosts are in desperate need of a win. These two teams started the campaign hoping for a top four finish and, in I Rossoneri’s case, possibly more.

And while Stefano Pioli’s Milan are going along quite well, solidly in the third place in the table, Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta are in danger of slipping away from the top four race, currently in eighth and four points behind fourth.

The Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo will be a nervy place to be for the home fans who can see their team falling further away, as they are only two points above 12^th placed Frosinone, who were beaten 3-1 by Milan last week. Atalanta met Torino on Monday, full of hope which was quickly crushed by Il Toro in a 3-0 home win.

A win for Atalanta on Saturday would reignite La Dea’s top four campaign, but a defeat would give them a mountain to climb and Milan is one of the toughest opponents you could face at a time like this.

Talking Points

Atalanta must get it right at both ends of the pitch

A poor set of Serie A 2023 results has cast a shadow over the Gewiss Stadium, and Gasperini needs to find a way of lifting it.

La Dea headed to Turin on Monday with a chance to close the gap to the chasing pack, and they had opportunities to do so with a share of possession and more shots than their hosts.

But there was a horrible irony in the outcome as Duvan Zapata, currently on loan from Atalanta to Torino, scored twice for Il Toro while the current crop of Atalanta strikers fluffed their lines.

Gasperini has quality in his frontline. Gianluca Scamacca has returned to Serie A with five goals so far, while Ademola Lookman has used his impressive pace and quick feet to bag four goals.

Marten de Roon, with four assists, is a key link between attack and defence, while La Dea have a real star in the making at the heart of defence.

Centre-back Giorgio Scalvini is yet to reach his 20^th birthday, but he has already played 63 games for Atalanta, scoring four goals, and he has made seven international appearances for Italy.

At 6’4”, he is a commanding figure, strong in the tackle and in the air, and very comfortable on the ball.

Scalvini came through the club’s academy and is contracted to Atalanta until 2027. Europe’s top clubs are already tracking him, and it may be difficult to hang on to the player, who Atalanta value at around €40 million.

He picked up a yellow card in the ninth minute against Torino, and that affected his game, so the opening exchanges will be crucial for Scalvini.

Giroud back for Milan

After picking up a red card during Milan’s 2-2 draw with Lecce, Milan’s star striker Olivier Giroud is available again having served his two-match ban.

The veteran hitman is joint second in the race for the Capocannoniere with seven goals from 11 games, and his battle with Scalvini will be an intriguing one.

He’s a target man as well as a striker, and Giroud has also made three assists. The France star missed Milan’s home match with Fiorentina and their clash with Frosinone through suspension, both of which yielded three points.

Theo Hernandez scored the only goal of the game against La Viola from the penalty spot, but I Rossoneri were more expansive against Frosinone as Christian Pulisic scored his fifth goal of the campaign, while Luka Jovic and Fikayo Tomori were also on target.

Serb striker Jovic is the man likely to make way for Giroud on Saturday.

History

With 24 victories to 10, Milan have had the better of the head-to-heads over the past three decades, and they have won four of the last five meetings, the exception being a 1-1 draw in Bergamo last season.

Recent form for Atalanta has been miserable with just one point from their last four league games, a draw against Udinese, but they have a tough run including clashes with Napoli and title favourites Inter Milan.

I Rossoneri have been more productive, winning seven points from their last four league games.

Betting Tip

I Rossoneri are currently third in the league, and the latest Serie A 2023 betting odds predict that is where they will finish.

But Pioli has not yet give up hope of another Scudetto win. This game is wide open with La Dea as favourites, but not by much. The SBOTOP odds on a home win are 2.31, with I Rossoneri priced at 2.70 and the draw is 3.04.

I suspect the visitors might have the edge but, with two attacking teams coming face to face, I’m hoping for goals.

 

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