Atalanta vs Sporting Lisbon
With two more matchdays left in the group stage of the 2023-24 Europa League, there’s a huge sense of urgency for all teams to finish out strong.
That is the case in Group D, where Atalanta and Sporting are both in the running for first place, while third-seeded Sturm Graz are lurking right behind them.
Right now, Atalanta have the upper hand with 10 points, while Sporting are trailing by three. Another win here by La Dea would see them directly qualify for the Round of 16.
Getting the top berth in the group is essential because it ensures a much easier path towards the latter stages instead of having to go through the Round of 32, where they’ll face the dropouts of the Champions League.
Talking Points
Scamacca and Scalvini to watch for Atalanta
Gianluca Scamacca is the current joint-top scorer for Atalanta so far this season (5 goals), but he has been anonymous in their last few games.
The former West Ham United striker came off the bench against Udinese and Napoli, and he hasn’t found the back of the net since their 2-1 loss to Inter Milan three weeks ago.
But this match against Sporting is a great chance for him to regain his bearings, and he’ll have a lot of support in the final third since Gian Piero Gasperini typically uses a 3-4-1-2 formation.
With either Ademola Lookman or Ederson alongside him, who have combined for nine goals and three assists thus far, Scamacca should fare better in their upcoming games, which is essential for them to stay competitive both in the Europa League and Serie A.
On the other side of the pitch, Atalanta have a real gem at their disposal in Giorgio Scalvini. At 19 years of age, Scalvini already looks like a seasoned veteran.
No wonder rival clubs like Inter Milan want to have him on their team since he is currently in the 99th percentile in terms of interceptions per 90 (2.34), the 86th percentile in terms of tackles per 90 (2.14), and the 80th percentile in terms of aerial duels won per 90 (2.73) among centre-backs today.
Inacio’s stock is rising at Sporting
Because forwards Viktor Gyokeres, Pedro Goncalves, and Marcus Edwards get all the shine in Sporting, people tend to overlook Goncalo Inacio’s impact in the backline.
The 22-year-old is one of the hottest young commodities in the transfer market today, with high-profile teams like Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Newcastle United being his suitors.
The potential is there for Inacio. A quick look at Football Reference shows that Inacio is great with handling the ball at his position since he’s in the 99th percentile in progressive passes per 90 (8.63), the 97th percentile in progressive carries per 90 (1.94), and the 91st percentile in successful take-ons per 90 (0.54).
Unfortunately for Inacio, he will be banned for a few games after he was sent off in their 2-1 loss to Benfica two weeks ago. But the good thing is that he’ll be available for Sporting on Thursday because his red card doesn’t count in Europe.
History
Atalanta managed to defeat Sporting 2-1 in the reverse fixture in October, as Giorgio Scalvini and Matteo Ruggeri scored two goals in the first half to secure the win for La Dea, while Viktor Gyokeres notched a consolation goal for the Lions in the second half.
This means that Atalanta have now won three straight home matches against Sporting. Prior to their encounter last month, La Dea had recorded two 2-0 victories against the Lions in the Cup Winners’ Cup (1963 and 1988).
Sporting have never won in their last 16 away games to Italian clubs in Europe (D4, L12), with their most recent defeat being a 1-0 result against Juventus in last season’s first leg of the Europa League quarter-finals.
Atalanta, meanwhile, have only lost twice in their last 18 Europa League matches (W11, D5) while staying unbeaten this season (W3, D1).
Betting Tip
The SBOTOP Europa League 2023 odds expect a neck-and-neck affair between Atalanta and Sporting on Thursday night at Bergamo. The hosts are priced at 2.08 to win, while Sporting aren’t far behind at 2.84, and a draw is at 3.60 odds in the 1X2 market.
The outcome of this contest could go either way, so we’d rather take a look at the possible goal count on Thursday.
Total Goal 2-3 at 1.83 sounds like the best betting option out there because we expect several entries from Atalanta and Sporting in the Europa League 2023 highlights reel.
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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