Atalanta take on the visitors Como in the round 5 match of Italian Serie A. The match will be played on Monday, September 23rd at Gewiss Stadium (Bergamo).
Atalanta haven’t always looked convincing. Last season’s version of the "Bergamaschi" had only one real downside—they lost the final of the Coppa Italia to a struggling Juventus. Otherwise, Gasperini's side showed a return to the level they had a few years ago in Serie A. They also made a splash on the international stage, winning the Europa League. However, this was a slightly different "Goddess" team. Scamacca suffered a serious injury, and they sold Koopmeiners along with a couple of other key players. They’ve brought in many new signings again, and things aren’t always clicking. While their loss in the UEFA Super Cup can be explained by the class of their opponent, Real Madrid, the club struggled in Serie A after a big win over Lecce, losing to both Torino and Inter, and only in September did they manage to outgun Fiorentina 3-2. In the Champions League, they held Arsenal to a 0-0 draw, with the brightest saves made by the Gunners' goalkeeper, Raya.
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Como were once in Serie A before. But their recent and rather sharp progress is linked to new ownership. Last season, this long-forgotten club finished second in Serie B, earning long-awaited promotion. However, this was followed by several risky moves. First, Cesc Fàbregas, with almost no coaching experience, was appointed as the full-time head coach. Secondly, they heavily reinforced the squad, bringing in famous but past-their-prime players, many of them fellow Spaniards of their new manager. Pepe Reina, Sergi Roberto, and Alberto Moreno were among the signings. The most high-profile acquisition was Raphaël Varane, but he got injured in his debut match. Incidentally, they lost that game to Sampdoria on penalties in the cup. Then in Serie A, the newcomer was beaten 3-0 by Juventus, drew with Cagliari, and lost 2-0 to Udinese. However, they did manage a draw with a Bologna team preparing for the Champions League.
Since 2004, the teams have only met once, in a friendly match two summers ago. The "Goddess" won that game 4-0 in 2022. The "Bergamaschi" are clearly stronger and should easily beat the division newcomer at home. Bet on Gasperini’s side to win with a "-1 goal" handicap.
Prediction for the match: Atalanta to win with -1.0 scored goals.
