Atalanta vs Lazio
Two of the top four hopefuls will clash in Bergamo this weekend as Lazio host Atalanta at the Gewiss Stadium on Sunday evening.
Only two points separate these two sides in the Serie A table, as Atalanta are currently in fourth place with 36 points, while Lazio are not far behind in sixth place with 34 points.
Depending on this weekend’s Serie A 2024 results, there’s a chance that things will stay the same or that these two teams could switch places.
As the title of this article suggests, SBOTOP football fans are in for a huge treat because after this game, there’s the famous Derby d’Italia game between Inter Milan and Juventus, which will pose major ramifications in the Scudetto race.
Talking Points
No Lookman, no problem for Atalanta
With Ademola Lookman still competing in the AFCON after Nigeria are through the semi-finals, Atalanta have been trying their best to cope with his absence, and so far they’ve done well.
In their last five games across all competitions, Atalanta’s free-scoring ways haven’t taken a hit at all, as several players have stepped up, a key reason why they’ve improved to fourth place.
Enter the trio of Teun Koopmeiners, Charles De Ketelaere, and Gianluca Scamacca, who are responsible for eight of their last 13 goals scored.
Charles De Ketelaere kicked off the New Year for Atalanta by registering a brace in their 3-1 Coppa Italia Round of 16 win against Sassuolo, and then he was one of the five men who found the back of the net in their 5-0 shellacking of Frosinone.
Teun Koopmeiners scored their only goal against AS Roma and also had a brace in their 2-1 victory over AC Milan. He also found the back of the net against Frosinone.
And last but not least, Gianluca Scamacca broke his scoring drought in Atalanta’s 2-0 win against Udinese on Saturday. The former West Ham United striker now has six league goals this season from just eight starts.
With all of them being 100-per cent fit, Lazio’s defence will have their hands full trying to keep them at bay.
Who’s available for Lazio?
Patric is still out due to a shoulder injury, so Mario Gila will continue his centre-half partnership with Alessio Romagnoli this weekend.
Central midfielder Danilo Cataldi is not available for this contest because he picked up his fifth yellow card against Napoli, so Nicolo Rovella or Matias Vecino will start in his place in midfield.
But the biggest news for the Biancocelesti is the forthcoming return of Ciro Immobile from suspension, their top scorer this season with seven goals. The veteran striker will displace Taty Castellanos, and he’ll be paired with Felipe Anderson and Gustav Isaksen up front.
History
Atalanta and Lazio last faced off in October, where the latter won 3-2 at home in the Stadio Olimpico. The Biancocelesti were up by two goals early, courtesy of Charles De Ketelare’s own goal in the fifth minute and Taty Castellanos 11th-minute goal, but Ederson and Sead Kolasinac drew level for La Dea.
Matias Vecino scored the marginal goal during the 83rd minute, and Lazio held on even as their manager, Maurizio Sarri, was sent off for dissent in the final minutes.
Lazio are undefeated in five of their last six Serie A encounters with Atalanta (W3, D2) after failing to win any of their previous seven league games (D3, L4), including going unbeaten in Bergamo in their last three (W2, D1).
Should the Biancocelesti beat La Dea again, it would be their first league double over them since 2016-17 under Simone Inzaghi.
But Atalanta have been good at home this season, gathering 25 points from their opening 11 home league games, which is their best mark at this stage of the season.
Betting Tip
The Serie A 2024 odds predict another close fight between these two sides on Sunday. Being the hosts, Atalanta were given the slight edge at 2.08, while Lazio were at 3.36 odds, and a draw is at 3.09 in the 1X2 market.
With these two sides capable of scoring a bunch of goals, Total Goal 2-3 at 1.89 seems like the safest bet, while Over 2.50 at 2.21 and Total Goal 4-6 at 3.96 are also worth considering. As for choosing the winner of this matchup, it’s a toss-up. The one particular bet that caught my eye is the Correct Score of 3-2 in favour of Lazio, the same exact result as their reverse fixture, because it is on a whopping offer of 55.00
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.
●●●
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.
