Will Donyell Malen score again?
Just because both teams in our AS Roma vs. Atalanta Bergamo pick have won their first two league games doesn’t mean they’ll automatically perform at the same level. In other words: We agree with the assessments of the top sportsbooks and are naming the home team as the favorite.
The AS Roma vs. Atalanta Bergamo prediction offers an intriguing side note regarding the coaching staff. The league leaders from Rome have been led by Gian Piero Gasperini since last season—the coach who guided La Dea through the most successful phase in the club’s history and led them to the Europa League title.
Since his departure, there has been a complete lack of continuity on the Bergamo side’s coaching staff. Ivan Juric was fired by the Black and Blues after just 15 games. His successor, Raffaele Palladino, stepped down at the end of last season after 39 competitive matches. Maurizio Sarri is now Atalanta’s head coach.
The 67-year-old remains undefeated with his current employer. Under his guidance, Atalanta has won three of its first four competitive matches. They also drew 0–0 in the first leg of the Conference League qualifier against Hapoel Tel Aviv. Despite these respectable results, the AS Roma vs. Atalanta Bergamo betting odds are quite clearly stacked against Sarri’s team.
Our take on the odds from the best sports betting apps is clear: we agree with the consensus and expect the Giallorossi to take the field with a clear advantage. The difference in the two teams’ offensive play is particularly striking. After four competitive matches under Sarri, Atalanta has scored just four goals. It could have been even fewer.
AS Roma – Atalanta Bergamo Head-to-Head Record
Based on recent meetings between these two teams, we’ve come to expect goals to be few and far between. Last season, only three goals were scored in both matches combined. Including the matches from the previous season, three of the last four games between AS Roma and Atalanta Bergamo ended with “Under 2.5 goals.”
That’s not entirely out of the question this coming weekend. However, it depends primarily on the home team’s scoring form. Defensively, Gasperini’s side is definitely capable of securing a home win without conceding a goal. Roma has yet to concede a goal this league season and has an expected goals against rate of 1.15 (3rd).
AS Roma – Atalanta Bergamo Pick
High-intensity pressing, paired with quick and purposeful runs into dangerous spaces—after two matchdays, the Giallorossi look exactly as we’ve come to expect from ideal Gasperini teams. Added to this is Donyell Malen, a player in incredible form with five goals in two appearances.
Of course, he also benefits from the high quality of chances and the smart passes from his teammates. No other team has generated higher-quality shots on average than the league leader (0.20 xG/shot). That’s exactly where the opposition is still falling short.
Sarri’s team nearly paid the price for their lack of attacking firepower as early as the previous matchday. It was only thanks to a long-range goal in stoppage time that the Bergamo side managed to secure three points against Bologna. However, the expected goals clearly pointed against a victory (0.13 xG).
