Match Overview
Atalanta BC are set to face Venezia FC at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia in a Serie A clash. Atalanta, currently sitting 11th in the league with 6 points from 5 games, will be looking to turn their fortunes around after a recent dip in form. They have appointed Maurizio Sarri as their new coach, a move confirmed by [1], following three consecutive defeats. Their opponents, Venezia FC, are rooted at the bottom of the table, having lost all five of their opening matches and accumulating zero points. Despite their struggles, Venezia have publicly backed their head coach, Giovanni Stroppa, with [2] reporting the club’s decision to stick with him, believing he deserves more time to prove his worth in Serie A.
Atalanta’s recent form shows two wins and three losses, with their last three matches all ending in defeat against Juventus FC, Cagliari Calcio, and AS Roma. Venezia’s record is even starker, with five straight losses, including defeats to SS Lazio and ACF Fiorentina where they conceded a total of six goals. Akor Adams and Antoine Hainaut have found the net for Venezia in their recent 2-4 loss to Fiorentina, as reported by [3]. However, the team’s defensive frailties are evident, having conceded 13 goals in five matches.
Team News and Key Players
Atalanta comes into this fixture with a number of injury concerns. Key defenders Odilon Kossounou and Isak Hien are both unavailable due to injury, with Kossounou suffering a serious lesion to the femoral bicep that will keep him out for 4-6 weeks, according to [4]. Giorgio Scalvini, who missed the 2024 Euros with a knee injury, is also out, though he recently extended his contract with the club until 2031, as per [5]. Midfielder Franck Kessie chose Atalanta over Juventus, a significant transfer confirmed by [6], and Jonathan Rowe also joined from Bologna, as reported by [7]. Gianluca Scamacca recently scored his first goal for Italy in three years, indicating his return to form, as noted by [8]. Thomas Kristensen is expected to step into the starting XI for Atalanta, according to [9].
Venezia’s squad sees Akor Adams and Antoine Hainaut as recent goal scorers. John Yeboah missed a penalty against Lazio, a detail highlighted by [10]. Despite their poor results, the club’s decision to retain coach Giovanni Stroppa suggests a belief in his long-term vision, as [2] indicates he deserves a longer period to prove his worth. Venezia’s attacking rating stands at 0.8383, while their defensive rating is 1.5288, reflecting their struggles at both ends of the pitch. Atalanta, in contrast, has an attacking rating of 0.9607 and a defensive rating of 0.9971, suggesting a more balanced, albeit recently underperforming, side.
What it means
Atalanta’s current standing of 11th place with 6 points from 5 games (2 wins, 3 losses) puts them in a precarious mid-table position. Their form of ‘LLLWW’ indicates a recent downturn, with three consecutive losses impacting their league standing. This fixture against Venezia, who are 20th with 0 points from 5 losses (‘LLLLL’), presents a crucial opportunity for Atalanta to regain momentum and climb the table. A win would provide a much-needed boost under new coach Maurizio Sarri and could help them recover from their recent slump. The predict.game models are unanimous in forecasting a home win for Atalanta, with probabilities ranging from 59.4% to 70%. The most likely scorelines predicted are 1-0, 2-0, or 2-1 in favour of Atalanta, reflecting Venezia’s severe defensive weaknesses and Atalanta’s potential for a new manager bounce. Venezia’s dire form and goal difference of -9 (4 goals for, 13 against) underscore the challenge they face, making any points from this away fixture a significant upset.
Sources
- Football Italia: Gasperini: ‘Roma’s plan was to win the Scudetto in 3 years, we wouldn’t mind getting there sooner’ football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Venezia reach decision on Stroppa future after picking up 0 points from first 5 games football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Serie A | Venezia 2-4 Fiorentina: Mastantuono magic gets Vanoli off the mark football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Atalanta confirm Kossounou serious injury, out for at least 4-6 weeks football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Newcastle and Chelsea given Scalvini transfer hope despite Atalanta renewal football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Kessie explains why he chose Atalanta over Juventus: ‘This city is everything for me’ football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Sarri: ‘Only positive start was with Chelsea, not good memories of Juventus’ football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Scamacca ‘very happy’ with first Italy goal in three years football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Giuntoli: ‘Atalanta trying to find ourselves, Juventus didn’t give me time’ football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: The numbers behind Lazio’s best-ever start: Mandas’ 7 saves and Noslin’s first back-to-back football-italia.net ↩
