Prediction and match preview for Roma vs Atalanta

Prediction and match preview for Roma vs Atalanta

Roma receives the visit of Atalanta, a team they defeated in their previous head to head with 4-1. Before the duel with the Bergamo team, Mourinho's team has 6 consecutive matches without defeat in the championship.

Rome is going through a relatively good period. Apart from the defeat with Inter in the Italian Cup, Mourinho's team has been undefeated since January 9th! Since then, in the championship, the Capitolines have obtained 3 victories, drawing three times. In the last round, the hosts on Saturday obtained, with hard work,, 3 points in Spezia. After playing the entire second half in numerical superiority, the Giallorossi won 1-0, thanks to a goal scored by Abraham, from the penalty spot, in the 90 + 9 minute. It is the first time in this league that Mourinho's team reaches 6 consecutive matches without defeat. With the victory at Spezia, Roma overtook Fiorentina and Lazio, climbing to 6th place, just 3 points behind Atalanta, the opponent in this stage, and 6 points behind the Champions League place - so the high stake is there!

Rome has 7 wins, 4 draws and 3 defeats in the home matches in the current edition of Serie A. Milan, Inter and Juventus are the three teams that managed to win on Olimpico in Mourinho's mandate. Apart from Spinazzola's long-term injury, Roma have no other team problems. However, Felix Afena-Gyan, who was sent to the second team after spending time in a night club, will be missing, although Mourinho did not allow his footballers to go to crowded places, in the context of the pandemic. Suspended for two rounds, after being sent to the stands at the end of the match with Verona, Mourinho will not sit on the bench in Saturday's match.

At their last domestic game, Atalanta defeated Sampdoria with 4-0, obtaining the first victory in Serie A after 5 rounds in which 3 draws and two defeats were recorded. The weak series of results in the championship complicated the plan of the Bergamo team to finish in the Champions League area. Before the stage, "Dea" is on the 5th place, 3 points behind those target places from Juventus, occupying the fourth position. The away form in matches were the strong point of the Bergamo team, who obtained 9 victories and 3 draws on foreign ground, being defeated only once, two rounds ago, when they lost, 0-1, in Firenze. Only Napoli has a better run in this regard, with 31 points scored away, one more than Atalanta and Milan.

Djimsiti and Demiral return after the suspensions for the accumulation of yellow cards, a situation in which Toloi is now, who will miss playing at Olimpico. Zapata has about two months to recover from the injury he suffered in early February.

In the previous encounter, in Bergamo, Rome won 4-1. It was the Capitol's first victory after 7 duels in which Atalanta had won 4 times, drawing 3 times. In 6 of the last 8 direct matches, at least 3 goals were scored, and the previous 3 matches had, in total, 12 goals!.

Probable line-ups:
ROME: Patricio - Mancini, Smalling, Kumbulla - Karsdorp, Cristante, Mkhitaryan, Vina - Pellegrini - Zaniolo, Abraham
ATALANTA: Musso - Djimsiti, Demiral, Palomino - Hateboer, De Roon, Freuler, Maehle - Pasalic, Koopmeiners - Boga
Both sides' strengths and weak points are well known to each other, but Atalanta's attacking style might been replaced by a more disciplined defensive approach lately- particularly in high-profile clashes with Inter, Lazio and Juventus. Each of those games produced either goalless or low-scoring draws, so we are seeing at least a goal scored from each side in this game!