Will Maurizio Sarri get his team back on track?
The Bergamo side has yet to recover from Gian Piero Gasperini’s departure ahead of the Atalanta Bergamo vs. Parma match. So far, his successors have been unable to build on the successful run under Gasperini. Ivan Juric failed completely, while Raffaele Palladino at least managed to secure qualification for the Conference League.
For the new season, La Dea strengthened its coaching staff and signed Maurizio Sarri to a long-term contract. But even the outspoken Italian is already under pressure again in this Atalanta Bergamo vs. Parma preview. Twelfth place and eleven points from nine league games are simply not enough.
On the other side, the first coaching change of the season took place just a few weeks ago. However, Alberto Gilardino has not brought lasting success. After four matches as head coach of the Crusaders, the 44-year-old is still waiting for his first win (1 draw, 3 losses).
The Atalanta Bergamo vs. Parma betting odds from sportsbooks don’t bode well for the visiting fans. This translates to an implied probability of victory of approximately 16 percent. After just one win in the first nine matchdays, that seems reasonable.
Visiting coach Alberto Gilardino is likely most concerned about the team’s low output in the attacking third, as well as the scarcity of high-quality scoring opportunities. No other team in Italy’s top flight has generated fewer expected goals than the Crusaders (7.23 xG).
Their opportunities are limited, with only 0.08 expected goals per shot on goal. Along with Genoa and Udinese, this is the lowest figure in Italian Serie A soccer. This brings the Atalanta Bergamo – Parma odds of 2.28 at LetsBet for “Parma Under 0.5 Goals” into focus.
Atalanta Bergamo vs. Parma Head-to-Head Record
The results of the previous ten meetings paint a clear picture of the balance between the two clubs. The Bergamo side won their last home game quite convincingly (4–0). Overall, La Dea has come away with the win in eight of the last ten head-to-head matches.
Given recent events, we also need to discuss the defense of Sarri’s squad. Atalanta has conceded an average of three goals over their last three league games. However, against the weakest offense in Serie A, a positive trend is expected.
Atalanta Bergamo – Parma Prediction
Both teams allow a relatively high number of passes per defensive action during the opponent’s build-up play (18.2 vs. 15.9 PPDA). High-pressure ball recoveries and the resulting shots on goal have been virtually nonexistent. Atalanta has recorded 45 high-pressure ball recoveries so far (17th) – Parma 44 (18th).
Accordingly, we expect little goal-scoring threat in this matchup from situations resulting from high-pressure defense or ball recoveries in the attacking third.
When it comes to open play, the Bergamo side definitely offers the better solutions—coupled with individually stronger players.
No attacker on the visitors’ roster stood out in the first few matchdays. David Romero and Simone Lontani lead the team’s scoring chart with two goals each this season. The fifth goal of the season was scored by right winger Pontus Almqvist. To create more scoring opportunities, the team simply lacks action in the attacking third. The Kreuzritter completed only 750 final-third passes (19th). Of those, 61.6 percent were successful (19th).
