Serie A Preview: Atalanta vs Hellas Verona – H2H & Line-ups | OneFootball

Saturday’s Serie A action forms the backdrop for a handsomely-looking encounter between top-five hopefuls Atalanta and downtrodden Hellas Verona. The stakes are high at the Gewiss Stadium for visiting manager Paolo Zanetti amid his side’s barren run in Italy’s top flight.

Despite boasting 68% possession and 22 shots, Atalanta failed to convert an eye-catching 2.38 xG into victory in a frustrating 0-0 home draw against Celtic in midweek UEFA Champions League action. If it’s any consolation, La Dea at least extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to five matches (W3, D2).

As Gian Piero Gasperini’s men look to regain their scoring touch, this match against out-of-sorts Verona presents an opportunity to showcase their wild life slot in Serie A, transforming chances into goals and securing vital points in their quest for a top-five finish. In contrast, a draw would do for the visitors, with Zanetti staring down the barrel of an early dismissal.

Despite dismantling Antonio Conte’s Napoli 3-0 at home on his Verona touchline debut in Serie A, Zanetti has since massively underperformed the odds, suffering five defeats in seven subsequent league fixtures, including a humiliating 3-0 home loss to Monza last time out (W2).

Atalanta vs Hellas Verona Recent Head-to-Head

Since a 2-1 defeat on this ground in April 2022, Atalanta have racked up a four-game unbeaten league run against Verona (W3, D1). However, the only blemish on this near-perfect H2H streak came in their most recent meeting in Bergamo, with La Dea throwing away a two-goal cushion in a gut-wrenching 2-2 draw in April.

Perhaps surprisingly, Verona have been a thorn in Atalanta’s side in recent years, avoiding defeat on three of their last four Serie A visits to the Gewiss Stadium (W2, D1). Despite a traditional low-scoring backdrop, Zanetti’s men relish playing on this ground, notably netting multiple goals in three of those four clashes.

Conflicting Spirits

It stands to reason that Atalanta’s five-match unbeaten streak will help them take the field in a buoyant mood. However, Gasperini’s men would be naive to take anything for granted. Notoriously inconsistent, La Dea have alternated between various outcomes in their five competitive home outings this season (W2, D2, L1).

Despite those setbacks, Atalanta can rely on Mateo Retegui‘s scoring prowess. With eight goals, he’s the leading goalscorer in Serie A. The ex-Genoa striker could have a field day on Saturday, with last season’s Europa League winners taking on one of the worst defensive teams in the top flight.

Only Lecce (18) and Genoa (17) have conceded more goals than Verona’s 15 this season. But it only tells half of the story. Zanetti’s men have capitulated at least twice in five of their eight league matches this season, including the last two on the road, leading to defeats at the hands of Como and Lazio.

Atalanta vs Hellas Verona Potential Line-ups