Sassuolo vs Atalanta prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2023-08-19 16:30.
Sassuolo will be hoping speculation over the future of star-striker Domenico Berardi does not impact their start to the season. The Italian international, who netted a dozen times in Serie A (SA) last season, is attracting the attention of Juventus, while his current manager Alessio Dionisi has peculiarly admitted he “can’t fully know” if reports that the forward is pushing for the move are true.
Losing Berardi would undoubtedly be a massive blow for the Black and Greens, who endured their worst finish in nearly a decade by finishing 13th in the top flight last season. The need for extra time to beat second-tier side Cosenza in the Coppa Italia in their first competitive game of the campaign did little to ease fears of a repeat this time around, especially after they finished 2022/23 without a win in six outings (D2, L4).
Attempting to pile on the pressure are visitors Atalanta, who have lost just two of the last 19 H2Hs (W12, D5). That should provide plenty of confidence to the travelling contingent, who are hoping their team can secure an eighth successive top-half SA finish, after ending up in fifth place last year, qualifying for the UEFA Europa League in the process.
The signs are positive ahead of the new campaign, with Gian Piero Gasperini strengthening his squad by bringing in the likes of Gianluca Scamacca, Charles De Ketelaere and Sead Kolašinac. The trio will be hoping to help the Atalanta win their opening league game for the sixth season running, while also improving on a dismal away record in 2023 which has seen them register just three SA victories in ten attempts since mid-January (D2, L5).
Key battle: Sassuolo could hand a debut to goalkeeper Alessio Cragno, who has lost six of his nine H2Hs with Atalanta (W3), keeping just two clean sheets. He may come up against Scamacca, who has seen five of his last seven SA goals, all of which were scored for Sassuolo before his big money move to West Ham, arrive in the first half.
Hot streak: Nine of the last ten meetings between these two sides have seen both teams score.