Supercoppa Italiana: Scudetto Rivals Face off in Saudi

Inter Milan vs Atalanta

Italian football heads to the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh on Thursday when Supercoppa Italiana comes to town with Serie A’s finest ready to put on a show.

While the race for the Scudetto and European places goes on back in Italy Simone Inzaghi’s Inter Milan will take on Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta in the winter showcase fixture between the reigning league champions and the current league leaders.  La Dea went into the Christmas period top of the Serie A table, level with Napoli and a point ahead of Inter Milan who have a game in hand.

Inter stepped into Christmas with a 3-0 win away to Cagliari while Atalanta picked up a 1-1 draw away to Lazio, and this Supercoppa clash will give a psychological advantage to the winner as they enter the second half of the Scudetto campaign, as well as a place in the final to be played on Monday January 6^th. Coppa Italia winners Juventus will take on the Serie A runners up AC Milan on Friday for the other final place.    

 

Talking Points

Acerbi and Pavard not travelling with Inter

The Supercoppa Italiana 2024 news coming out of Milan this week concerns a couple of absentees in the defensive unit. Experienced centre back Francesco Acerbi and French wingback Benjamin Pavard will both miss out with thigh strains, Acerbi’s picked up in a match against Hellas Verona in November while Pavard suffered the same fate during a Champions League tie against Red Bull Leipzig. Both are nearing a return, but with four trophies to aim for, Inzaghi has decided to leave them in Milan to complete their rehabilitation. 

There is better news from former Manchester United star Matteo Darmian who can rejoin the defensive group as he seems to have recovered from a knee injury picked up during a Coppa Italia win over Udinese two weeks ago. Darmian missed the wins over Como and Cagliari but he is ready to return and is travelling with the Nerazzurri squad. Another defender who will feature in Riyadh, Alessandro Bastoni, scored in the comfortable win over Cagliari, while skipper Lautaro Martinez and winger Hakan Calhanoglu were both on target.     

 

Atalanta are Inter’s biggest rivals

2023 Scudetto winners Napoli may have something to say about this, but it appears that La Dea have emerged as Inter Milan’s biggest rivals this year, in the absence of AC Milan and Juventus. Like I Nerazzurri, Atalanta are in four competitions; Serie A, the Supercoppa, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League and already going nicely in three out of the four.   

So La Dea are hoping for a successful 2025 and they are in good shape, thanks to the leadership of Gasperini and his ability to get the best out of his players. One such star is striker Ademola Lookman, who has attracted interest from a number of top clubs, Liverpool included, after he scored a stunning hat-trick to win the 2024 Europa League and has carried on in scintillating form this season. 

Atalanta director Tony D’Amico has spoken to the press to warn off suitors, saying the club will not sell any key players in January and that includes Nigerian star Lookman, who recently won the 2024 African Player of the Year award, beating off competition from Borussia Dortmund and Guinea striker Serhou Guirassy, and Paris Saint Germain’s Moroccan midfielder Achraf Hakimi. 

Alongside Mario Pasalic, Charles de Ketelaere and Nicolo Zaniolo, Lookman is part of a superb attacking unit and Atalanta, as always, are an exciting team to watch; and this year they are chasing more silverware to add to their 2024 Europa triumph.       

 

History

With 31 victories to nine, I Nerazzurri have had plenty of success in their encounters with La Dea and they have won the last six, including a 4-0 thrashing in the third match of the current league campaign as Marcus Thuram scored a brace.   

Both teams come into the match in fine form, Inter with five wins and one defeat from the last six while Atalanta have won four, drawn one and lost one; so let’s see how the Supercoppa Italiana 2024 betting odds play out and make a call for the Thursday clash.    

 

Betting Tip

All three results are right in play here for this exhibition match, with Inter the favourites at a SBOTOP price of 2.13 while Atalanta can be backed at 2.91 and the draw is priced at 3.17. I expect these Italian giants to put on a show and, with both teams’ attacking prowess on show I’m hoping for goals.  

   

●●●

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS

Stay updated with everything sports and betting.

Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.