Atalanta BC - Bologna predictions and free betting tips [03/03/2024]

On Sunday as part of the 27th tour of the Italian Serie A, Atalanta will welcome Bologna to their home ground. While La Dea suffered a heavy defeat in midweek, their Emilian colleagues have won successive five matches and are steadily closing in on the champions' zone..

Atalanta

Currently sitting in 5th place in the overall Serie A standings, and two points behind the top four, Atalanta is battling to make it to the Champions League. Gian Piero Gasperini's charges were somewhat inconsistent in results in the first half of the season, but then picked up the pace. Following the defeat to...Bologna in late December (1:0), La Dea started an eight-game unbeaten run (6 wins and 2 draws). Unfortunately, this positive streak ended last week with a hefty 4:0 defeat to leaders Inter. The Bergamo club has never won eight consecutive home games in its entire long Serie A history, so the hosts will certainly not be lacking motivation this evening. Notably, the La Dea – in their sky-blue and white – have secured a place in the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia, and are gearing up for the first knockout phase match of the Europa League against Sporting next Thursday.

Winter acquisition, defender Hien, and centre-back Palomino are still recuperating, but the team has no other notable absences. Dutchman Koopmeiners (8 goals and 3 assists) steers Atalanta's halfback and will definitely be on the starting lineup; the same can be said for Belgian forward De Ketelaere (6 goals and 6 assists), who has been impressing in recent weeks. After coming back from the African Nations Cup, Nigerian Ademola Lookman (7 goals and 3 assists) has spent the last two rounds on the bench, but this could be his time to return to the starting eleven. Aleksey Miranchuk had a poor outing at San Siro and will sit-out this bout, while de Roon and Ederson will be cementing the midfield.

Bologna

With Thiago Motta at the helm, Bologna has exceeded all expectations this season, currently occupying the 4th place in the Serie A table, leaving their rivals two points behind. Qualifying for the Champions League would be a significant achievement for the rossoblù, but they need to maintain their current positive trend to do so. From late December to late January, they were losing points, going through four tours without a win (2 draws and 2 defeats), but have since found an excellent stride: they've won the last five championship matches – against Sassuolo (4:2), Lecce (4:0), Fiorentina (2:0), Lazio (1:2) and Verona last weekend (2:0). Bologna has only twice won six consecutive victories in Serie A - and both times those were nearly 60 years ago.
However, their performance away from home leaves a lot to be desired: they have only scored 13 points in 12 away matches (11th in the division). Having been ousted from the Coppa Italia, Motta's charges can now focus on the final stretch in Serie A. Bologna has managed to avoid injuries lately, and the entire squad is prepping for their trip to Bergamo. The only personnel loss is defender Sumaoro, who was sidelined due to injury several weeks ago. In the attack, Orsolini (9 goals and 2 assists) and Zirkzee (9 goals and 3 assists) stand out, while half-backs Froiler and Fabbian, who scored against Verona, will orchestrate the midfield. Behind them, Dutch centre-back Bukeema provides solidity in defence.

Head-to-Head

The Nerazzurri lost just one of their last 12 home games against Bologna in Serie A, winning in eight cases, although that lone defeat occurred in April last year.

Prediction for the match Atalanta - Bologna

Atalanta and Bologna are going neck-to-neck, vying for the Champions League zone. While the Bergamaschi can count on home ground support, the rossoblù have been performing poorly away. Objectively, the hosts have superior player quality and are keen to redeem themselves after the bitter slap-down in Milan – I'm betting on the favourite's victory.