Udinese vs Atalanta prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2022-10-08 13:00.
With only a point separating Serie A (SA) top-four chasers Udinese and Atalanta, this has all the makings of a blockbuster clash. Not many would have backed Udinese to be only a point behind top spot after eight rounds but their best-ever eight-game start to a top-flight campaign (W6, D1, L1) has surpassed all expectations. Now dreams of a first top-three finish in more than a decade will be filling the minds of their fans, but European qualification would be a more practical target.
Boss Andrea Sottil has worked wonders with six straight wins and could now become the first top-flight manager in the three-points-a-win era to win seven of his first nine SA games. While thatāll be tough against tricky opponents in the shape of Atalanta, Udineseās average of 2.13 goals scored per league game this season shows they have the goalscoring momentum to continue their winning antics.
Yet with Atalanta boasting the meanest defence this league campaign after conceding just three goals, they are also oozing confidence and have the tailwind of their best-ever eight-game top-flight start behind them (W6, D2). The visitors may even put in an extra shift considering this game marks the 300th competitive match as Atalanta boss for Gian Piero Gasperini, and playing Udinese could be the perfect team for the occasion as Atalanta are unbeaten in nine SA H2Hs (W7, D2), a run that includes one of their biggest-ever wins (7-1).
Atalanta have been spotless on the road this season too, winning all four of their away SA games āto nilā, and subsequently have Inter Milanās 1966/67 record of five away wins āto nilā to start a top-flight campaign in their sights. Keeping a clean sheet against this high-flying Udinese side will take some doing though, as Atalanta havenāt kept one in away SA H2Hs since March 2012.
Players to watch: Beto has scored Udineseās first goal in each of his last four SA scoring games, and got two goals across two H2Hs last season. Atalantaās Luis Muriel has a personal-high 11 SA goals against Udinese, thanks in part to scoring 2+ goals in four of his last six H2Hs.
Hot streak: The last six H2Hs have seen both teams score whilst producing an astonishing total of 30 goals.