Atalanta vs Cagliari prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2025-02-14 14:00.
[p]Atalanta were left furious after conceding a controversial 94th-minute penalty in the UEFA Champions League to lose 2-1 to Club Brugge in the first leg of their knockout play-off on Wednesday. They have the chance to bounce back quickly when hosting Cagliari, but recent struggles on home soil suggest this will be far from straightforward for La Dea, who have failed to win their last three home league matches (D2, L1).[/p]
[p]Atalanta last endured a streak of four or more such matches without a win in August 2022, and they could ill afford to replicate that if their hopes of a maiden Serie A crown are to remain realistic. Their deficit to the leaders stands at five points ahead of this clash, but this is a fixture Gian Piero Gasperini’s men have struggled in down the years, losing four of the last six league H2Hs on their own turf (W2).[/p]
[p]The equation for Cagliari is far different, as they continue to stave off relegation fears in their second season back in Serie A. They were the only side entering this round in the bottom half to win last weekend when beating Parma 2-1, giving the Islanders the chance to register back-to-back Serie A wins for the first time since March![/p]
[p]That victory lifted them four points clear of the drop zone, but further progress looks tricky as they hit the road here. Cagliari have won just one of their last nine away league matches (D3, L5), with the sole victory coming against bottom-of-the-table Monza, while only four sides in the division have scored fewer than their 11 goals on their league travels this term.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: After his sensational four-goal haul in a 5-0 win at Verona last week, Mateo Retegui is the first Atalanta player to reach the 20-goal mark within the first 24 matches of a Serie A season. Florinel Coman made his debut in the competition last week, coming off the bench to score decisively against Parma – the last four club matches he has scored in have seen both teams find the net.[/p]
[p]Hot streak: Cagliari have conceded the opening goal in their last six away games across all competitions. [/p]
[p][i]Written by Alex Bowmer[/i][/p]