The break for the national teams’ commitments should have been a cure-all for an Atalanta team downsized by the defeat in the direct clash with Inter, but the disappointing performance offered on Sunday in Florence belied this prediction. Against Fiorentina, in fact, there was no “ferocious” reaction from Gian Piero Gasperini’s men, who were sunk by a goal from Fiorentina’s Kean at the end of the first half (1-0). The second defeat in a row for a Dea who, in the Tuscan capital, may have definitively said goodbye to their Scudetto dreams.
Yes, because the Nerazzurri have slipped to 9 points behind leaders Inter and have also been overtaken by second-placed Napoli: the Neapolitans have 6 more points. Atalanta will therefore have to start watching their backs, since Bologna (-2) and Juventus (-3) are not that far behind and missing out on qualification for the next Champions League after having cherished the dream of winning the league for some time would be a real disappointment. To this end, the Goddess needs to start winning again in her stadium, where the last success dates back to December.
Gasperini will try to reverse the trend in the interesting challenge with Lazio, another direct clash with a team that can still have an influence in the race for fourth place, although the Biancocelesti – just caught up by their cousins Roma in sixth position, on 52 points – have slowed down abruptly for the past few weeks. Last Monday Marco Baroni’s men could only draw 1-1 with Torino and were unable to turn the page after the resounding defeat by Bologna (5-0) that occurred before the break. Lazio haven’t won in the league for over a month and from next week they’ll start their double-header again: the first leg of the quarter-final against Bodo/Glimt is imminent, and a long and difficult away game.
Atalanta-Lazio: the latest news on the line-ups
Gasperini seems to want to confirm the trident formed by Lookman, De Ketelaere and Retegui despite their poor performance in Florence. In midfield we see the return of the all-rounder Ederson, suspended against the Viola, while on the wings we have Bellanova and Zappacosta, favored over Cuadrado and Ruggeri. Pasalic, on the other hand, will be on the bench. There is serious doubt over the inclusion of the injured Toloi, while Posch and Kossounou remain out.
On the other hand, Baroni in Bergamo should be able to count on Nuno Tavares, who trained with his teammates during the week and will be included in the squad. In the middle, however, there will be no Guendouzi, who is suspended: Vecino will be keeping Rovella company. It is unlikely that Castellanos, who is recovering, will be able to start from the 1st minute: in attack the chosen one is Dia, supported by Isaksen, Pedro and Zaccagni.
Odds comparison
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The prediction
Atalanta and Lazio are two teams that are going through a worrying period of decline and now they can’t afford to make any mistakes if they are to avoid failing even in terms of their minimum objectives. The favorite according to the bookmakers but, in light of their home performance – Gasperini’s men haven’t won at home since December – it’s difficult to have complete faith in the Nerazzurri. The statistics that come to mind are those relating to goals: in the last 11 matches played at the Gewiss Stadium between Atalanta and Lazio, a total of 41 goals have been scored. That’s an average of 3.7 goals scored per match.
The probable line-ups for Atalanta-Lazio
ATALANTA (3-4-2-1): Carnesecchi, Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac; Bellanova, de Roon, Ederson, Zappacosta; De Ketelaere, Lookman; Retegui.
LAZIO (4-2-3-1): Provedel; Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Nuno Tavares; Vecino, Rovella; Isaksen, Pedro, Zaccagni; Dia.