The defending Serie A champions will be looking to add more silverware and are in impressive form, winning eight league matches in a row, and have now registered five more points than they had after the first 20 rounds in last season’s title-winning campaign.
Atalanta
Atalanta boast a 100 per cent competitive winning record in 2022, scoring an impressive eight times and putting their preceding two-game winless Serie A run behind them in the process. They broke the deadlock inside the opening 20 minutes in both of those recent successes, and they’ll be hoping for the same again here as they look to close the eight-point gap on opponents and league-leaders Inter Milan. That’s easier said than done as Atalanta have won just once across the last ten H2Hs and their home league record this term is far from impressive. Worryingly for them, they conceded 2 goals in each of those three home league defeats and all three losses came against sides also in the division’s top seven ahead of this round.
Inter
A last gasp extra-time winner saw Inter claim their first Supercoppa Italiana triumph since 2010, bringing home their first major trophy of the season. The defending Serie A champions will be looking to add more silverware and are in impressive form, winning eight league matches in a row, and have now registered five more points than they had after the first 20 rounds in last season’s title-winning campaign. Inter’s bookmakers’ favourites tag here is justified by their formidable Serie A away record, and with each of manager Simone Inzaghi’s last six meetings with Atalanta producing 4 goals, we might see a blockbuster clash here. However, don’t be shocked by a slow start from the visitors given there’s yet to be a single goal scored inside the opening ten minutes in any competitive away match involving Inter this term.
Atalanta’s Luis Muriel has stepped up to replace injured Duvan Zapata, netting three goals across his last two outings including twice before the 30th minute. Meanwhile, Alexis Sánchez has scored three times after the December break, including the Supercoppa winner in midweek – Inter have now won all 13 games he’s scored in for the club. Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini has beaten Simone Inzaghi in three of the last five personal managerial H2Hs.