Atalanta vs AC Milan Prediction & Match Preview
Atalanta vs AC Milan
Italy Serie A,
Date: Sunday, 3 October 2021
Kick-off 19:45 UK/ 20:45 CET
Venue: Gewiss Stadium.
Atalanta and Milan square off against each other in a highly-anticipated Serie A game at Gewiss Stadium.
The Orobici made a slow start to the season, but they have been making progress week by week.
Following back-to-back wins over Salernitana and Sassuolo, Atalanta shared the spoils with title holders Inter at the weekend.
Atalanta aim to return to winning ways in the Italian top flight, but, no doubt, they would be happy with one point from Sunday’s derby.
Hateboer and Palomino should be the only absentees in the home team. The Rossoneri, on the other hand, will be without Ibrahimovic, Bakayoko, Krunic, and Plizzari against Atalanta.
Milan did well to defeat Venezia 2-0 at the weekend, but beating the Orobici is easier said than done.
The two teams seem to be evenly matched at the moment; therefore, we believe that there is a big value in betting on draw.
Atalanta vs AC Milan Head-to-head
Teams Atalanta AC Milan played so far 38 matches.
Atalanta won 11 direct matches. AC Milan won 15 matches. 12 matches ended in a draw. On average in direct matches both teams scored a 2.66 goals per Match.
Atalanta vs AC Milan Prediction
Atalanta in actual season average scored 2.50 goals per match. In 6 (75.00%) matches played at home was total goals (team and opponent) Over 1.5 goals. In 5 (62.50%) matches in season 2021 played at home was total goals (team and opponent) Over 2.5 goals.
AC Milan average scored 1.77 goals per match in season 2021. In 4 (57.14%) matches played away was total goals (team and opponent) Over 1.5 goals. In 2 (28.57%) matches played away team was total goals (team and opponent) Over 2.5 goals.
Team News:
The Milan infirmary has had to fit revolving doors of late, as the recent returns of Olivier Giroud and Davide Calabria are outnumbered by visits from veteran striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Achilles), Rade Krunic (calf), Tiemoue Bakayoko (ankle) and Alessandro Florenzi. The latter will now be out until November after undergoing surgery to resolve an ongoing issue with his left knee.
However, Stefano Pioli should have surprise summer signing Junior Messias ready to make his debut if required, as the former Crotone forward returned to training this week and could feature against Atalanta.
Though he now faces a suspension in Europe for his first-half red card versus Atletico, midfield mainstay Franck Kessie – a former Atalanta player, who has scored three Serie A goals against the Nerazzurri since leaving – will start.
Even though both Giroud and last weekend’s goalscorer (on his full debut) Daniel Maldini are available, in-form Alexis Saelemaekers, Brahim Diaz, and Rafael Leao should form the youthful support act for hard-running frontman Ante Rebic.
The home side, meanwhile, will again be placing much of their attacking hopes on the irrepressible Ruslan Malinovskyi, who has been directly involved in 19 Serie A goals this calendar year (eight goals, 11 assists); at least three more than any other midfielder in the league.
The Ukrainian has generally played in an advanced role behind Duvan Zapata this term, but the Colombian striker’s compatriot Luis Muriel made his return from injury in midweek and could contend for a start, having plundered 51 league goals since the start of the 2019-20 season.
Both Hans Hateboer and Jose Luis Palomino are set to be sidelined for Atalanta, so Berat Djimsiti should continue in the back three given Palomino’s continued absence. In addition, the considerable wide threat of Robin Gosens will be missing due to a thigh strain picked up in midweek, so Davide Zappacosta and Joakim Maehle are poised to start as La Dea’s wing-backs.
Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Musso; Toloi, Demiral, Djimsiti; Zappacosta, Freuler, De Roon, Maehle; Pessina; Malinovskyi, Zapata
AC Milan possible starting lineup:
Maignan; Calabria, Tomori, Kjaer, Hernandez; Tonali, Kessie; Saelemaekers, Diaz, Leao; Rebic
