AS Roma vs Atalanta
AS Roma and Atalanta will meet for the second time this season on Saturday night at Stadio Olimpico, and as of this writing, this is a battle for the sixth and final European football spot in Serie A, which would send them to the Europa Conference League.
Right now, AS Roma are the sixth seed with 57 points, four points ahead of seventh-placed Atalanta. I Giallorossi have battled inconsistency in the past few games. However, they have bigger problems off the pitch, as head coach Gian Piero Gasperini and special adviser Claudio Ranieri are at odds, with both key figures fighting over control of the capital club.
Atalanta are lurking behind AS Roma, but their four-game unbeaten run came to a screeching halt last Sunday with a narrow 1-0 loss against Juventus. La Dea are keen to return to winning ways as soon as possible and eventually surpass AS Roma.
Talking Points
AS Roma star is making a run for the Capocannoniere
Signing Donyell Malen on loan from Aston Villa last January proved to be a masterstroke for AS Roma, as the Dutch forward is firing on all cylinders. The 27-year-old already has 10 goals in 12 Serie A appearances, which puts him in joint-third in the intensifying Capocannoniere race, level with the likes of Kenan Yildiz, Marcus Thuram, Keinan Davis, and Rasmus Hojlund.
Malen has been ultra-aggressive in the final third, averaging 4.5 shot attempts per 90 minutes this season – the second-best mark in the Italian top-flight behind Nikola Krstovic (5.4), his opposite number on Saturday. The Dutchman registered a hat-trick in AS Roma’s 3-0 rout of Pisa, giving his team a massive boost in the European football race.
With Paulo Dybala, Artem Dovbyk, and Evan Ferguson still in the treatment room, AS Roma will continue to lean on Malen’s heroics. On the other hand, Gianluca Mancini and Niccolo Pisilli are expected to return against Atalanta. Mario Hermoso is probable to start, while skipper Lorenzo Pellegrini and Wesley Franca remain out.
Meanwhile, the rift between Gian Piero Gasperini and Claudio Ranieri goes on, and the two reportedly met with the higher-ups recently. According to local reports, Ranieri is pondering resignation following the fallout.
Atalanta’s profligacy cost them
Atalanta suffered a 1-0 loss to Juventus last time out, marking just their second league defeat this calendar year. Despite this, Raffaele Palladino believes it was one of their best performances of the season.
La Dea dominated the first half without making it count, and they were made to pay for their defensive miscues when Jeremie Boga scored the decisive goal in the 48th minute. Atalanta believe they should’ve won a penalty in the final minutes for a potential equaliser when Davide Zappacosta’s cross struck Federico Gatti on the arm. However, the referees did not make the call. The team had 16 shots compared to Juve’s six and controlled 56-per cent possession.
History
Atalanta logged a 1-0 win over AS Roma in the reverse fixture at the Gewiss Stadium last January, as Giorgio Scalvini scored the deciding goal in the 12th minute. La Dea seem to have the Giallorossi’s number lately, as they’ve won all of their last four league encounters, and six of the last seven, against them, although Gian Piero Gasperini was in charge for most of that stretch. However, Atalanta have won just five of their 15 road games this term.
AS Roma are undefeated in their last nine league games at Stadio Olimpico (W7, D2), and their 3-0 win against Pisa in the last round is their 14th clean sheet in Serie A. However, against the Top 7 clubs, the Giallorossi have notched only one clean sheet and one win this season (D3, L7).
Betting Tip
The Serie A 2026 odds predict a close contest between AS Roma and Atalanta. Because they’re higher in the standings and playing at home, the Giallorossi have the slight advantage at 2.42, whereas La Dea are at 2.75, and a draw is at 3.07 in the 1X2 market.
The reverse fixture was low-scoring, but their history shows that we will likely have more Serie A 2026 highlights this weekend. Besides our recommended bet, SBOTOP punters may want to consider adding Over 2.25 at 1.78, Over 2.50 at 2.04, and Over 2.75 at 2.35 to the parlay. However, if you think otherwise, check out the Correct Score of 1-0 in favour of Atalanta – the result of their first league meeting this season – given its tempting offer of 8.60 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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