Lazio
- Sarri’s Serie A favourite Lazio have won one and lost one of their last two home matches.
- Lazio are eighth in Serie A with 33 points from 24 games while Atalanta are in seventh, having also played 24, with 39 points.
- Lazio have won five, drawn four and lost three at the Stadio Olimpico, conceding only 1.17 goals per game on average.
Atalanta
- With the visitors on the back of a two-game winning streak that includes a 3-0 Coppa Italia triumph over the Old Lady, they come into this clash as the favorites, although their recent away form must be considered.
- Atalanta have not won in their last two road games, while Lazio have won five, drawn four and lost three at the Stadio Olimpico, conceding only 1.17 goals per game on average.
Head-to-Head
- The tactical matchup between Maurizio Sarri’s vertical, rhythmic passing and Raffaele Palladino’s high-intensity, wing-back-based style could make this Saturday’s matchup between Lazio and Atalanta Bergamo a Serie A classic.
- Sarri’s Lazio, who play a 4-3-3 with line-breaking, one-touch passing when it works, tend to default to a more pedestrian, controlled style when they are forced to play at a slower tempo.
- Palladino’s 3-4-2-1 system has maintained the high-intensity pressing that was always a feature of Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta sides, but he has added a level of structure to Atalanta’s style that was never there before.
- Lazio and Atalanta have drawn two of their last three Serie A meetings and played out a 0-0 stalemate three months ago.
Key Players
Danilo Cataldi has been the Serie A’s most reliable Lazio goal-scorer this season, with three in 21 , and he forms the fulcrum to their play in the middle third, while Atalanta ’s most potent threat is in Nikola Krstovic, who has seven in 20 this campaign.
Betting Insights
However, with the odds on the visitors at 2.14 and the home side at 3.4 and a draw at 3.2 , it’s hard to go against Atalanta, but we’d rather back Lazio ’s ability to be resilient at home.
Prediction
A high-tempo, open game where both teams get chances is expected, so we’re taking both teams to score at 1.93 in a potential tactical battle of wits between two very interesting coaches.
