Sunday’s Serie A schedule serves up an intriguing clash between third and fourth, with the result set to have big implications on the race for Champions League football.
As things stand, AC Milan find themselves seven points clear of Atalanta, although La Dea have a game in hand on the Rossoneri.
Trends favour Atalanta, who have won each of their last five league matches, but the overall stats point towards Milan’s superiority. Read on to discover what Forebet’s algorithm predicts.
Into the Last 16! ✅#UEL #SRFCACM #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/AtpBO04MWS— AC Milan (@acmilan) February 22, 2024
Into the Last 16! ✅#UEL #SRFCACM #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/AtpBO04MWS
AC Milan were beaten 3-2 by Rennes in the Europa League on Thursday, although Stefano Pioli’s side advanced to the next round thanks to a 5-3 aggregate win.
The Rossoneri head into Sunday’s showdown on a two-game losing run, following a shock 4-2 defeat to Lombardy rivals Monza last weekend.
That loss ended an impressive nine-match unbeaten streak for Milan in Serie A, with only two defeats coming in their previous 14 encounters in the league.
It is also worth noting that Pioli’s men have won six of their last seven home games in Serie A, scoring over 1.5 goals on four occasions while keeping four clean sheets.
Meanwhile, Atalanta extended their winning streak in Serie A to five matches with a dominant 3-0 victory over Sassuolo last weekend.
La Dea have scored a whopping 17 goals in their last five outings, averaging 3.4 goals per game, and they have also kept three clean sheets for good measure.
When you look at the bigger picture, Atalanta have avoided defeat in each of their previous nine matches across all competitions, winning on eight occasions.
Having won nine of their last 11 encounters, Gian Piero Gasperini’s men will back themselves to pick up a positive result at the San Siro.
Head-to-head: Atalanta have already defeated Milan twice this season, winning 3-2 in the reverse fixture before winning 2-1 in the Coppa Italia.
That said, La Dea have managed to win just one of their last six Serie A matches against the Rossoneri, who have claimed three clean-sheet victories since 2021.
Team news: Milan’s injury list contains Davide Calabria, Pierre Kalulu, Tommaso Pobega and Fikayo Tomori, while Mattia Caldara is a doubt.
On the flip side, Atalanta’s sole injury absentee is Argentine defender Jose Luis Palomino, who has missed the past three matches with a hamstring issue.
While Milan are on a two-game losing run, Atalanta are enjoying a six-game winning streak, meaning that Gasperini’s men are in far better form.
With that in mind, Forebet predicts that Atalanta will claim all three points at the San Siro, securing their third consecutive win against Milan.