Atalanta vs Sassuolo Prediction & Tips
Atalanta had to fight hard to claim victory in their visit to Salernitana last Saturday (W 1-0), as they continue their unusually low-scoring campaign in Serie A (SA). Just four goals in four games is a clear step back after being the highest-scoring team in the last three seasons, but Atalanta’s offense must be looking forward to this showdown after scoring against Sassuolo in 14 consecutive games.
More successes in head-to-head matches between the two clubs would be welcomed by coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who saw Atalanta fail to clinch victory in their first two SA games at home (E1, P1), putting them one step away from running out of wins at their first three home games for the first time since 2014/15 – a season in which Atalanta finished just one place above the relegation zone. No one expects the team to do so badly this season, but Gasperini has asked his players to keep motivation levels at SA as high as he has for their Champions League matches.
Four points in four commitments – six points less at this stage of the season compared to the previous one – may indicate that Sassuolo’s antics in search of a ticket to European competition in 2020/21 will not be repeated this time. The outcome in this clash would be a declaration of intent on their part, although it seems unlikely that anything positive will come of it considering that Sassuolo were lucky to lose just 1-0 in their last appearance after Torino recorded two shots to the post and had two clear shots at the goal line.
However, Sassuolo will likely lament their bad luck, having scored the first goal in their last two games only this was disallowed by VAR each time. The VAR also canceled the goal that would have seen him win the last match against his rival on duty – a clash that had as many red cards (two) and penalties (two) as goals (1-1).
Players to watch: Duván Zapata has been the first player to score for Atalanta in two consecutive SA games, and has scored five times in the last three meetings against Sassuolo in Bergamo. Meanwhile, Filip Đuričić has seen a rival door in both SA games played away from home by Sassuolo.
Highlight: Nine of the last ten meetings with each other saw both teams score.
Atalanta – Sassuolo FREE TIPS
Atalanta – Win @ 1.55
Both teams to score / YES @ 1.80
Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.90
