Fifth place Roma head north to Bergamo to play seventh place Atalanta on Sunday. Roma are just two points ahead of Atalanta in the Serie A table. One point separates Roma from fourth place AC Milan and by the end of the weekend, the Giallorossi could be in the Champions League places.
Both clubs come into the fixture in fine form. Roma have won four of their last six games with just one match ending in a loss. Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta have seen similar fortune. La Dea have won four of six games and just one ended in a loss.
While Roma’s home form has been stellar, the Giallorossi haven’t been quite as good on the road. Manager Eusebio di Francesco has watched his team secure just 12 points from 30 possible on their travels. Roma have won just once in their last six away fixtures. That win came in their most recent away match when they won at Parma, 2-0. The Giallorossi have scored just 10 times while posting a zero-goal difference on their travels.
Atalanta Bergamo’s home form has been about as good as Roma’s away performances. La Dea have registered 14 points from 27 possible, posting a +8-goal difference. Three of their last six home games have ended in wins. Atalanta average 2.2 goals per game and their last five fixtures in all competitions have each ended with over 2.5 goals scored. Striker Duvan Zapata is having a fantastic season for Atalanta with 14 Serie A goals. He is joint-league leader with Cristiano Ronaldo. Premier League side West Ham offered Zapata's parent club Sampdoria €40 million for the striker, but their offer has so far fallen on deaf ears.
The last six games between Atalanta and Roma have seen goals fly into the back of the net. Twenty-one goals have been tallied in the teams’ last six games. Their previous meeting this term ended in a six-goal thriller split 3-3. Three of their six recent games ended in draws with Atalanta winning twice and Roma once.
There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 11 of Atalanta's last 12 Serie A games. Meanwhile, Roma have scored at least two goals in six of their last seven Serie A matches.
Although both Serie A teams have been in good form, Roma go into the clash looking slightly stronger than Atalanta. The Bergamo-based club have been conceding too many goals and Roma will expose La Dea’s defence. Roma will pick up all three points and leapfrog Milan in the race for Champions League football. The fixture will see over 2.5 goals scored as the Giallorossi get the best of Atalanta.