Sunday’s Serie A action closes out at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara with an exciting encounter between mid-table Bologna and underperforming Atalanta.
After overcoming Bundesliga powerhouse Bayer Leverkusen in their tasty-looking Europa League last-16 tie, Atalanta will turn up at Dall’Ara in high spirits. But their decent European showings contrast the visitors’ recent domestic form.
Let’s take a look at the two betting tips to consider for this fixture.
Over/Under Market
In normal circumstances, this would be a ‘goal-friendly’ fixture. However, that may not be the order of the day this time around.
Sinisa Mihajlovic’s men have drawn a blank in back-to-back Serie A outings in the build-up to this clash, conceding just one goal in return. Moreover, four of Bologna’s last five top-flight games at Dall’Ara have seen one or both sides fail to get on the scoresheet in matches garnering under 2.5 total goals.
Atalanta have failed to find the net in their last three Serie A away games in a row, including a brace of 1-0 defeats to Fiorentina and Roma. Gian Piero Gasperini’s men fired another blank in the previous round, being held to an underwhelming goalless home draw to relegation-battling Genoa.
Only Genoa (7) have failed to score in more different Serie A fixtures in 2022 than Atalanta and Bologna, five apiece. Therefore, it is virtually impossible to back a high-scoring affair with any real conviction.
Prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Bologna vs Atalanta – Full-Time Result
Bologna
Bologna head into proceedings tucked in mid-table comforts. They sit in 12th in the Serie A table, 11 points clear of 18th-placed Venezia, with no real danger of being sucked into the relegation battle going into the season finale.
However, the Rossoblu are winless in their last three Serie A outings (D2, L1). Mihajlovic’s men have only won once in their nine league matches (D3, L5) since the calendar year flipped to 2022, highlighting their ongoing domestic struggle.
At home, Bologna have won just once across their last six Serie A games (D2, L3). Having fired blanks on four occasions in that spread of fixtures, they look like a doomed outfit. Or do they?
Atalanta
After going unbeaten in their opening 12 Serie A away matches of the season (W9, D3), Atalanta have lost their last league contests outside Bergamo.
But La Dea have found their recent Serie A meetings with Bologna a stroll, having lost just one of their last 12 top-flight H2Hs (W9, D2). That said, they shared the spoils with the Rossoblu in the reverse fixture at the Gewiss Stadium 0-0.
What’s more, Atalanta’s three-game Serie A form at Dall’Ara reads indifferently (W1, D1, L1). That’s not what Gasperini would want to hear as his men stare down the barrel of a first season without European football since 2015/16.
Despite their recent form wobble, we back Atalanta to get their stuttering domestic campaign back on track and take home all three points.
Prediction: Atalanta to Win