Fiorentina v Atalanta
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Sunday 20th February – 11:30AM KO
In a game that has been filled with spice in recent seasons, Atalanta travel to Tuscany to take on Fiorentina on Sunday hoping to get the better of La Viola for the first time this season in their third meeting of the 2021/22 campaign.
Having fallen to two defeats in Bergamo to Sunday’s hosts, most recently in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals this month, Atalanta will be desperate to take revenge on Vincenzo Italiano’s side and retake fourth place away from Juventus after the Old Lady drew with Torino on Friday night.
Their Serie A clash back in September saw Fiorentina claim a 2-1 win, while La Viola came out on top with a 3-2 win thanks to a last-second winner earlier this month, so goals are to be expected in this one.
Atalanta also boast the best away record in Serie A this season, and are alongside Manchester City as the only side in Europe’s top-five leagues still to lose a game on the road this term.
Goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano is expected to miss out for the hosts, while Atalanta should welcome Juan Musso back between their posts from suspension. Gian Piero Gasperini is expected to start without a recognised striker, instead likely to opt for Jeremie Boga and Mario Pasalic in attack, with Teun Koopmeiners most likely to step in for Ruslan Malinovskyi with Thursday’s second leg against Olympiakos in mind.
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Prediction: Both Teams to Score, 1.57 on Betfair (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Venezia v Genoa
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Sunday 20th February – 2:00PM KO
While there are plenty of games with serious consequences at the top of Serie A this weekend, arguably the most important tie of all comes at the bottom of the table with Genoa traveling to take on Venezia at the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo on Sunday afternoon.
The Grifone passed up a huge chance to move towards safety as they blew a lead to draw at home to bottom-placed Salernitana last time out, whereas the Arancioneroverde did get a big win themselves as they unexpectedly beat Torino 2-1 on the road to climb temporarily out of the drop zone.
Currently six points above the Grifone, Venezia can again edge their way towards survival and give their visitors real problems with a win, but the Rossoblu will fancy their chances of getting a result in Veneto.
Venezia will fancy their chances of scoring at least, as they have only failed to score against sides contending for European qualification since the end of November – firing blanks against Napoli, Atalanta (twice), AC Milan, and Inter since then.
Genoa, meanwhile, have had a harder time in front of goal and have failed to score in three of their last four, but had plenty of chances early on against Salernitana. They can expect to have more in Venice on Sunday, and they’ll be hoping that Mattia Destro is on form to put at least some of them away.
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Prediction: Both Teams to Score, 1.87 on Betfair (⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Inter v Sassuolo
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Sunday 20th February – 5:00PM KO
Inter have a potential banana skin awaiting them as they welcome Sassuolo to the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, with the Neroverdi having won there already this season by beating AC MIlan.
Alessio Dionisi’s side have proven themselves to be tricky customers for Italian football’s traditional powerhouses this term, also winning away at Juventus, at home to Lazio, and coming from two goals behind to draw at home to Napoli as well.
Sassuolo’s early days in Serie A saw them routinely thrashed by Inter, though they then established themselves as something of a bogey side for the Nerazzurri. That trend was shaken off by Antonio Conte as he made Inter Italian champions, but there were signs that it might be on its way back in their earlier meeting this season, with Sassuolo going ahead only for Inter to put on a real display of champions in the second half to win 2-1 back in October.
Simone Inzaghi will have to do without a number of first-team regulars, with Alessandro Bastoni and Marcelo Brozovic suspended, while Joaquin Correa is out through injury. Inter, with a tough schedule to manage, could also be tempted to rest the likes of Edin Dzeko and maybe some others.
Dionisi has both Giacomo Raspadori and Gianluca Scamacca back available, and Hamed Traore has shown fine form of late and scored a gorgeous goal in their recent Coppa Italia defeat at Juventus before shining again in a 2-2 draw at home to Roma last time out.
Both sides have goals in them, and Sassuolo are almost always a guarantee of entertainment and chances at both ends, so this is one for any neutral to tune in to.
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Prediction: Over 3.5 Goals, 1.91 on Betfair (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Udinese v Lazio
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Sunday 20th February – 7:45PM KO
Simone Inzaghi’s exit in the summer was always likely to bring a period of change and uncertainty to Lazio, and Maurizio Sarri has definitely seen that from his Biancocelesti side since succeeding the now-Inter boss.
The Aquile have become one of Europe’s most unpredictable sides under Sarri, and they blow hot and cold so often that predicting them to win or lose a game has become a near-impossible task. That considered, one thing that Lazio have been good for of late is goals, whether they’re coming for or against them.
Each of Lazio’s last four games have seen at least three goals scored – winning 3-0 against both Fiorentina and Bologna, losing 4-0 to Milan, and falling 2-1 at Porto in the Europa League. Udinese, as well, have had six goals scored between their last two outings – a 4-0 loss and a 2-0 win.
Sarri will have to hope that Mattia Zaccagni can maintain his recent form in front of goal, having scored in the loss to Porto and twice in last weekend’s win over Bologna. Ciro Immobile is expected to miss out though and Luis Alberto will have to watch on from home as he finds himself suspended.
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Prediction: Over 2.5 Goals, 1.9 on Betfair (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Cagliari v Napoli
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Monday 21st February – 6:00PM KO
Title contenders Napoli will expect nothing but three points from their trip to Sardinia to face Cagliari on Monday evening, coming off the back of a decent 1-1 draw away to Barcelona in the Europa League and just before the return leg at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
History is on the Partenopei’s side, as they have gone unbeaten in 22 of their last 23 Serie A games against the Rossoblu, and have managed to keep 12 clean sheets in that time. Their only loss coming in September 2019. To make matters worse for the hosts, Napoli have won on each of their last six trips to Sardinia, though they’ve never won seven straight away games against any Serie A side.
Although Cagliari have enjoyed some form since the turn of the year – only losing once in five games so far, a record that only Juventus and Napoli better – Napoli have kept back-to-back clean sheets on the road and they have conceded fewer goals (17) than anybody in Italy’s top tier this season.
If Napoli are to stay in the title race until the end of the season, games away to relegation-threatened sides simply have to be won, and this trip to Sardinia is no exception.
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Prediction: Napoli to Win, 1.55 on Betfair (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Bologna v Spezia
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Monday 21st February – 8:00PM KO
Round 26 comes to a close at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara with Spezia visiting Bologna in a game that sees two mid-table sides who won’t quite yet feel completely safe, despite sitting 13th and 14th respectively. The Rossoblu come into this one seven points above the relegation places, and the Aquilotti are just two points behind.
The hosts have had more than their fair share of defensive issues this season, having conceded 40 goals already in just 24 games. Only twice in their top-flight history have they conceded more at this stage of the season – 43 in 1955/56 and 42 in 1949/50. Spezia, meanwhile, have scored in eight consecutive games for the first time in their history as a top-flight club.
Thiago Motta’s side have also impressed on their travels this season and could win a fifth time on the road for the first time in their Serie A history, winning four of 13 so far this term to match the number they won in the entirety of last season – totalling 19 away games.
Having conceded 46 goals, though, only Empoli and bottom-placed Salernitana have worse defensive records than the Ligurians, so they’re likely to be leaky at the back while threatening in attack.
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Prediction: Both Teams to Score, 1.73 on Betfair (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
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