Atalanta Bergamo vs AS Roma
FreeWe’re always looking for new recruits to help us so please click here if you want to find out more about the ways you can help us (e.g. local input, watching games)!
There are 5 bankers and 10 value tips in the Members Section today so feel free to sign up here to see them + team news!
Today’s free tip is in the Italian Serie A encounter between Atalanta Bergamo and AS Roma.
Folk sure do like doubting Atalanta Bergamo, don’t they? I can understand that, solely based on their form guide, but that’s something that can be explained. Like I’ve said on numerous occasions now, Atalanta Bergamo made it very clear early on in the season that they’d be prioritising the UEFA Champions League. Subsequently, they rotated for weekend league games, and messed up in them because they don’t have depth of Juventus or Internazionale, which I think is quite understandable!
Now they’ve not got those important mid-week games though, the focus is back on Serie A matches. That means no rotated squads, no distracted performances – just 100% focus on Serie A. Since they did that, they’ve battered ACF Fiorentina, and claimed a very impressive draw at Juventus in which goalkeeper Gollini even saved a penalty from Ronaldo! I would not be at all surprised to see Dea put together a very strong run of form now. You all know they’ve got the quality. They’ve lost nobody but Castagne since last season, and have only added quality to their squad. Dutch full-back Hateboer has really stepped up to replace the departed Belgian too.
Effectively, what we have is a very strong Atalanta Bergamo now, one that has got star Slovenian creator Ilicic back. In him and Gomez, Atalanta Bergamo will always create chances. With powerhouse Zapata and rapid Muriel as more advanced options, Atalanta Bergamo always keep opponents guessing as to whether they’ll go long, wide, or through the middle. Freuler and Malinovskyi threaten with powerful long-range shots, and the stamina, speed, and size of their wing-backs ensures that there’s always an overload option, both in the air and on the floor. Honestly, this is one of the most varied and capable teams in Italy right now. I still have some question marks over the defence with Caldara still out but they’re good enough to outscore any team at this level, AS Roma included.
The away team enter this game on the back of a morale-boosting victory over Torino. Nobody is going to complain about a positive result, of course, but it wasn’t a brilliant display. Torino threw the game with the early red card. Then a mishit Mkhitaryan effort ended up in the net after a bit of a mess in the box before a dubious penalty made it 2-0 before the break – and then it was game over. Again, you can’t complain at winning games but I think that we’d have potentially seen a different outcome had Torino not opted to forfeit the game, which is basically what the red card did.
Prior to that, a 5-1 hammering of Bologna may look an incredible result but remember how many players Bologna were (and are still) without on the day. I like AS Roma, and I like boss Fonseca too. I think he’s been a really positive change for the club. He’s brought in fresh-faced folk with the drive to do well, and who are comfortable enough on the ball to ensure that the team can stay on the front foot most of the time. All of these are positive things. However, I have seen AS Roma play better than they currently are. That’s always the case when star attacker Zaniolo is out anyway, but it still feels like something is missing at the moment.
I still expect AS Roma to trouble Atalanta Bergamo here, of course. They’re so silky smooth in possession of the ball, AS Roma, that it would be staggering for the game to end without them troubling their hosts. However, they’re only just getting to grips with Fonseca’s style and ways. It’s a positive, as I said above, but it’s going to take time, and more players will need to leave/arrive before the capital club becomes what he wants them to be. That team is taking on a very settled and harmonious Atalanta Bergamo away from home, and there aren’t many harder games in Italian football than this right now. Subsequently, I’m inclined to doubt AS Roma’s chances here.
Atalanta Bergamo did the double over AS Roma last season, and there’s no shame in that, even if the AS Roma fans think otherwise. It’s a very complicated team to play against, not least because of their physical threat. Have AS Roma really improved since last season though? Not for my money. They’ve steadied the ship a little by adding Smalling, and acquiring Pedro on a free. It’s a case of softly, softly for the capital club, and again, I think they’re making good strides under Fonseca’s reign. Are they on Atalanta Bergamo’s level right now though? I would say not. As is always the case, I am open to being proven wrong, but I don’t see it. They don’t look remotely capable of stopping such a team because they’re not fit enough to do it, and they don’t look as clinical as today’s home team either.
Therefore, backing the home win at 5/4 really appeals to me here.
Verdict: Atalanta Bergamo to win at 5/4.
Sunday’s Thoughts
As ever, if there are any explanations required then please feel free to post a comment! For the remainder of my thoughts on today’s games, see below, although I feel compelled to write that the below are not necessarily my tips but merely my thoughts. For confidence ratings, you’ll need to go to the members section here.
Austrian Bundesliga:
Salzburg vs Wolfsberger AC
Swarovski Tirol vs SV Ried
Austria Vienna vs LASK Linz
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
Club Brugge vs AA Gent
OH Leuven vs KV Mechelen
Standard de Liege vs Royal Excel Mouscron
Waasland-Beveren vs Antwerp
Brazilian Serie A:
Vasco da Gama vs Santos
RB Bragantino vs Athletico Paranaense
Flamengo vs Bahia
Fortaleza vs Ceara
Bulgarian A PFG:
Ludogorets Razgrad vs Botev Plovdiv
Croatian Prva Liga:
Hajduk Split vs Gorica
Czech Republic Liga 1:
Teplice vs Zbrojovka Brno
Pardubice vs Zlin
Slovacko vs Viktoria Plzen
Danish Superligaen:
SonderjyskE vs Randers
Lyngby vs Vejle
AGF vs Aalborg BK
FC Copenhagen vs OB
AC Horsens vs Brondby
English Premier League:
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Sheffield United
Tottenham Hotspur vs Leicester City
Manchester United vs Leeds United
West Bromwich Albion vs Aston Villa
French Ligue 1:
Stade Brestois vs Montpellier HSC
Dijon FCO vs AS Monaco
FC Nantes Atlantique vs Angers SCO
AS Saint-Etienne vs Nimes Olympique
Racing Club Strasbourg vs Girondins de Bordeaux
Lorient vs Stade Rennais
Lille OSC vs Paris Saint-Germain
German Bundesliga:
SC Freiburg vs Hertha Berlin
VfL Wolfsburg vs VfB Stuttgart
German Bundesliga 2:
SV Sandhausen vs Holstein Kiel
St. Pauli vs Fortuna Dusseldorf
Nurnberg vs Erzgebirge Aue
Hungarian Liga 1:
Mezokovesd-Zsory vs Puskas FC
Ujpest vs Budapest Honved
Israeli Ligat Ha’al:
Ironi Kiryat Shmona vs Bnei Sakhnin
Hapoel Tel-Aviv vs Hapoel Be’er Sheva
Italian Serie A:
Torino vs Bologna
Benevento vs Genoa
Cagliari vs Udinese
Internazionale vs Spezia
Sassuolo vs AC Milan
Atalanta Bergamo vs AS Roma
SS Lazio vs SSC Napoli
Dutch Eredivisie:
Vitesse Arnhem vs Feyenoord Rotterdam
ADO Den Haag vs AFC Ajax Amsterdam
SC Heerenveen vs Heracles Almelo
AZ Alkmaar vs Willem II
Portuguese Liga 1:
Pacos de Ferreira vs Boavista
Gil Vicente vs SL Benfica
FC Porto vs CD Nacional de Madeira
Portuguese Liga 2:
Mafra vs UD Oliveirense
Academica de Coimbra vs Casa Pia
Leixoes Matosinhos vs Vilafranquense
SL Benfica II vs Vizela
Arouca vs Sporting Covilha
Spanish Primera Liga:
Celta de Vigo vs Deportivo Alaves
Granada CF vs Real Betis Balompie
Cadiz vs Getafe CF
Eibar vs Real Madrid
Swiss Super League:
FC Zurich vs Servette
Lausanne Sport vs Luzern
FC Sion vs Vaduz
Turkish Super Lig:
Genclerbirligi vs Ankaragucu
Denizlispor vs Alanyaspor
Besiktas JK vs BB Erzurumspor
Enjoy your free betting tips!