Atalanta vs Spezia Match Analysis & Prediction
19/01/2023 5:00 pm
Atalanta and Spezia meet at Gewiss Stadium on Thursday, with the sides battling it out to play Inter Milan in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals.
While the hosts picked up 10 goals in winning their last two Serie A matches, their visitors pulled further clear of trouble with a rare victory in Turin last time out.
Atalanta finally ended their drought with a comeback victory in Bologna before going up through the gears against Salernitana last Sunday.
Now sitting in sixth spot but just four points adrift of second-placed Milan in a congested section of the Serie A table, Atalanta are in contention for a return to the Champions League next season, but their best chance of glory this year surely comes in the cup.
Despite being knocked out by Fiorentina in last year’s quarter-final tie at Gewiss Stadium, they have won 16 of their last 18 Coppa Italia matches on home soil, keeping 10 clean sheets in the process.
Still seeking to add another national cup to their first and only success back in 1963, Atalanta seem particularly well-suited to knockout football, but must now prove it again in their first Coppa game of the season.
While Gian Piero Gasperini’s side received a bye to the last 16 by virtue of their league finish in 2021-22, Spezia had no such fortune and were required to make their way through earlier stages.
Luca Gotti’s first competitive game in charge of the club came at home to first-round victims Como (5-1), before Brescia were beaten 3-1 in mid-October, also at Stadio Alberto Picco.
Spezia will now make the trip to Bergamo, where they meet a side they held to a 2-2 draw earlier this month but now appears to be recovering its confidence.
Gotti’s side extended their unbeaten run in Serie A to its fifth game on Sunday, when they beat Torino through M’Bala Nzola’s first-half goal from the spot.
Spezia sit nine points clear of the bottom three as the second half of the season approaches, so they can approach Thursday’s cup tie relatively free from concern about their Serie A status.
Atalanta vs. Spezia Head to head
In the five previous meetings between these two sides, Atalanta have claimed three victories while they have drawn twice. Spezia have scored six goals and conceded 13 in the process.
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21/11/2020Spezia0Atalanta0Serie A
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12/03/2021Atalanta3Spezia1Serie A
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20/11/2021Atalanta5Spezia2Serie A
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08/05/2022Spezia1Atalanta3Serie A
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04/01/2023Spezia2Atalanta2Serie A
Atalanta Team News
Only Luis Muriel is a doubt for Atalanta due to his heel injury, while midfielder Teun Koopmeiners was ruled out of the weekend’s game by suspension so could feature in the cup.
Duvan Zapata is likely to partner Rasmus Hojlund or Ademola Lookman up front.
Atalanta's Last 5 Matches
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29/12/2022Atalanta0AZ1Club Friendlies
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30/12/2022Atalanta10Crema1Club Friendlies
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04/01/2023Spezia2Atalanta2Serie A
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09/01/2023Bologna1Atalanta2Serie A
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15/01/2023Atalanta8Salernitana2Serie A
Spezia Team News
Dutch goalkeeper Jeroen Zoet is still unavailable for Spezia, meaning Bartlomiej Dragowski may continue as the visitors’ last line of defence.
Defender Dimitrios Niklaou must serve a one-game Serie A suspension against Roma on Sunday, so is likely to be retained here.
Spezia's Last 5 Matches
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17/12/2022Spezia1Sparta Rotterdam3Club Friendlies
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20/12/2022Spezia2Groningen0Club Friendlies
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04/01/2023Spezia2Atalanta2Serie A
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08/01/2023Spezia0Lecce0Serie A
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15/01/2023Torino0Spezia1Serie A
Atalanta vs. Spezia: Odds and Predictions
Main Prediction
1X2: 1
Best Odds
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