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Atalanta BC vs. AS Roma
On Saturday, the most in-form team in the Italian league works to extend its winning streak. For this purpose Atalanta Bergamo welcomes AS Roma. Kick-off is at 15:00 at the Gewiss Stadium.
After six Serie A wins in a row, Atalanta Bergamo climbed to third place in the table before matchday 18. The team of the currently injured Robin Gosens is only three points behind first place (Inter Milan: 40 points). For the upcoming opponents from Rome, however, things did not go so well in the last games. The capitals lost four of their last seven league games. With 28 points, they are already eight points behind the Champions League places. Find out our predictions for the direct clash between the two teams in our Atalanta vs AS Roma betting tips.
Atalanta – AS Roma Info
– Date & Time: 18/12/2021, at 15:00.
– Venue: Bergamo, Gewiss Stadium
– Competition: Serie A, Matchday 18
– TV broadcast: DAZN
Atalanta Form & Balance Check
Atalanta Bergamo are unbeaten in ten games in Serie A. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side suffered their last defeat in the league at the beginning of October against AC Milan. They lost their home match with 2:3. Since then, however, the northern Italians have been almost unstoppable. They have won eight and drawn two of their last ten league games. On the penultimate matchday, they underlined their championship ambitions with a 3-2 away win at Napoli, who were top of the table up to that point. Bergamo have been the measure of all things in Italy, especially on the offensive. In eleven of the last thirteen Serie A matches, Atalanta have scored at least twice.
Exit in the Champions League
Somewhat surprisingly, Atalanta lost their final match to enter the knockout stages of the Champions League last week. At home, Bergamo lost to FC Villareal in a direct duel for the second place in the group. The Spaniards were already leading 3:0 after 42 minutes, but Bergamo showed morale and at least fought their way back to a final score of 2:3. The northern Italians were eliminated as third in the group and will now play Olympiakos Piraeus in the last 16 of the Europa League.
Atalanta facts & analysis
– Won six league games in a row
– scored in 21 consecutive competitive games
– scored at least twice in ten of last eleven competitive matches (1-0 vs Juve)
AS Roma form & balance check
With 28 points after 17 matchdays, AS Roma are lagging behind their own expectations. The lofty goal of qualifying for the Champions League is already some distance away. The capital is currently eight points behind fourth-placed SSC Napoli. Especially in the direct duels with the top teams of the league, Roma could not make any cuts. They lost against the two Milan clubs and Juventus Turin, as well as in the city derby against Lazio Roma. They at least held SSC Napoli to a 0-0 draw. The next opponent of this calibre awaits them in Atalanta Bergamo.
Spinazzola and Pellegrini are still absent
Roma are still missing two key players against Bergamo. Captain Lorenzo Pellegrini suffered a thigh strain around four weeks ago. Without him, Roma lost two of the last three league games. Only against the seventeenth-placed Spezia Calcio did they manage a 2:0 home victory. Left-back Leonardo Spinazzola, on the other hand, has been absent since the start of the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon, which he suffered at the European Championship. Both players are expected back early in the new year, however.
AS Roma facts & analysis
– one win from the last three Serie A games (two defeats).
– only scored a total of two goals in their last three league games
– only one draw in 17 league games (9 wins & 7 defeats)
Predicted line-up – last update on 16 December 2021
Because both teams won their dress rehearsal, we don’t expect any great changes in the starting eleven compared to the last match in each case. Both coaches are advocates of the three-man backline. However, while AS Roma rely on two classic strikers in the 3-5-2 system, Atalanta Bergamo play with three attackers. Atalanta’s squad is very deep, especially on the offensive. Ruslan Malinovskyi, Luis Muriel or Matteo Pessina could also make their first appearance.
Atalanta Bergamo – AS Roma Direct comparison & Statistics
The record over the last few years clearly favours Atalanta Bergamo. The northern Italians are unbeaten in seven matches against the capitals (4 wins & 3 defeats). For AS Roma’s last win, we have to go back to 2017. That was when they won 1-0 at Bergamo on the first matchday of the 2017/18 season.
– Atalanta Bergamo have not lost 10 Serie A games in a row
– Atalanta Bergamo have scored in 15 Serie A games in a row
– AS Roma have lost five of their last eight away games in Serie A
– AS Roma have failed to score in two of their last three Serie A matches
