Serie A: Atalanta Set to Test Lazio's Title Credentials

Atalanta vs Lazio

Lazio are set to resume their quest to reclaim the Serie A title for the first time in 20 years. The Biancocelesti are four points back of Juventus after the champions’ 2-0 win over Bologna and can’t afford to lose much more ground on the leaders.

But their first game back will be a major test of their championship credentials as they pay a visit to dangerous Atalanta.

Atalanta and their amazing attack picked up right there whey they left off as they smashed Sassuolo 4-1 over the weekend. And now, they have their sights set on dealing a huge blow to Lazio’s Scudetto hopes.

Talking Points

Atalanta still can’t stop scoring

Atalanta were on a brilliant run of form before the break in play. They had gone seven games unbeaten in all competitions (six wins, one draw) and made it to the Champions League quarter-finals after thrashing Valencia 8-4 on aggregate.

But the long break didn’t halt their momentum one bit as they smashed four goals in their first game back against Sassuolo. Duvan Zapata led the charge with a brace, pushing his season tally to 13 goals in just 16 Serie A appearances.

Duvan Zapata has proved his outstanding aerial abilities many times in Serie A — Atalanta’s Duvan Zapata celebrates after scoring his side’s fourth goal against Sassuolo

Zapata has now scored five goals in his last two league outings; he recorded a hat-trick in Atalanta’s last Serie A match before the suspension, which was a 7-2 demolition of Lecce.

Atalanta have so many attacking weapons that they still destroyed Sassuolo despite missing top scorer Josip Ilicic (15 goals in 21 Serie A appearances) due to an ankle injury.

Ilicic had been in brilliant form, scoring eight goals his last six league games. He also scored five of the team’s eight goals in their Champions League tie against Valencia, including all four in their 4-3 second-leg win.

It remains to be seen whether Ilicic will be able to return against Lazio, but the latest Serie A 2020 updates indicate that his condition has improved and that he has a chance to play.

Lazio’s defence to be put to the test

Lazio’s dreams of winning their first Scudetto since 2000 are still very much alive. They find themselves in second place thanks to a remarkable stretch which has seen them go undefeated in their last 21 Serie A matches (17 wins, four draws) and win 16 of the last 18.

Captain Ciro Immobile has played a major part in Lazio winning all of those games. The Lazio skipper is having the best season of his career. He leads the league with 27 goals and has also added seven assists.

But Lazio’s success has been a complete team effort. Luis Alberto, who leads Serie A with 12 assists, Joaquin Correa, Felipe Caicedo, and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic have supported Immobile well in attack.

Meanwhile, Lazio’s amazing defence also deserves a lot of credit. Despite not having any household names at the back, Lazio manager Simone Inzaghi have still been able to craft the best defence in the league, which has conceded just 23 goals this season.

That Lazio backline is set to face its toughest away test to date with an Atalanta attack that has already shown it can cause the Lazio defence many problems. Inzaghi will have to make some key adjustments to his defence to prevent a similar outcome.

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La Liga

History

Lazio and Atalanta have had quite a competitive head-to-head history in recent years. Lazio hold the slight edge in wins (11-9) over Atalanta, with five draws.

Although, Atalanta are undefeated in their last five meetings against Lazio, with two wins and three draws.

Their first matchup this season was one of the most remarkable games of the 2020 campaign. Atalanta had gone up 3-0 in the first half at the Stadio Olimpico.

But Lazio staged a miraculous comeback in the second half. Immobile and Correa scored twice in quick succession, then Immobile equalised from the penalty spot in stoppage time as Lazio somehow rescued a point.

Betting Tip

	Atalanta vs Lazio	1X2 Draw @ 3.65
	June 25, 03:45 (GMT+8)

This match is really tough to call. SBOBET odds actually have Atalanta as slight favourites at 2.19, with Lazio priced at 2.96. A draw is 3.65.

Both clubs have been in outstanding form, but while Atalanta have shown they are still firing on all cylinders, Lazio are more of a mystery.

Clearly, Lazio have more to lose in this match as defeat would be a major blow to their Serie A 2020 odds of winning the title. That’s why I foresee Inzaghi to be more cautious with his gameplan to avoid Atalanta’s dangerous attack from doing damage.

It’s unlikely to be quite as exciting as their first meeting, but with the comparable quality of both sides, I still expect a similar result: a stalemate.