Sampdoria vs Atalanta prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2022-08-12 16:30.
A 15th-placed Serie A (SA) finish served as Sampdoria’s joint-lowest in the top-flight since their relegation to Serie B in 2010/11, largely due to the fact no side lost more SA games than the Blucerchiati’s 13 in 2022. That shaky form led to Sampdoria briefly flirting with relegation, but two wins from their last four games was enough to preserve their SA status for an eleventh-successive season.
Ordinarily the visit of Atalanta would be one Sampdoria would relish, considering only against Roma (40) have Sampdoria collected more SA victories (39). However, this game falling on the opening day potentially throws a spanner into the works, as Sampdoria have lost each of their last four SA openers without scoring a single goal, and their chances of finding that elusive goal here are hurt by the departure of winger Mikkel Damsgaard.
Like their hosts, Atalanta will hope to start this season on a strong footing, after a rocky end to the season cost them another shot at European football, as Gian Piero Gasperini’s side finished outside the top seven for the first time since 2015/16. Just five SA wins in 2022 was equal to that of Sampdoria, highlighting the plunge Atalanta took in the new year, despite sitting comfortably in the top-four for over ten rounds mid-season.
The prospects of a solid start to this campaign appear good though, with Atalanta winning four-straight opening-day SA games, racking up a whopping 13 goals in that time. Scoring goals has never really been Atalanata’s problem though, it’s conceding, and with just one clean sheet in their last seven SA away games (W3, L4), Gasperini’s side may need to show that goalscoring prowess once again to claim the three points.
Players to watch: Only against Fiorentina (14) has veteran and captain Fabio Quagliarella scored more career goals than against Atalanta (12), whilst Luis Muriel may eye a fast start having scored inside 20 minutes on three of his last five goalscoring appearances for Atalanta.
Hot stat: Sampdoria are unbeaten in the four historical SA H2Hs against Atalanta on matchday one.