Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Serie A match.
Before the international break, both Fiorentina and Atalanta made headlines with resounding wins over Juventus — a blow to the Turin side’s Champions League hopes. Now they go head-to-head in Florence, with both sides eyeing European places, but it's the visitors who come in with sharper away form and a less congested fixture list.
Fiorentina
Since 10 February, Fiorentina have suffered three defeats in eight matches across all competitions, and kept just two clean sheets in that span. Their 3:0 win over Juventus flattered them, considering they generated just 0.40 xG compared to Juventus’ 0.85. Defensively, they’ve been shaky at home — 15 goals conceded at the Artemio Franchi, the second-worst among the current top seven (only Inter Milan have allowed more at home with 16).
Atalanta
Despite falling to Inter Milan (0:2), Atalanta remain in the top three and are in the hunt for a runners-up finish, aided by Napoli’s slip-ups. They boast the best away record in Serie A — a league-high 33 points and 34 goals on the road. Atalanta’s firepower is spearheaded by Ademola Lookman (13 goals, 5 assists) and Mateo Retegui (22 goals, 4 assists), both in the top three of the scoring charts.
Fiorentina vs Atalanta Prediction
Fiorentina have struggled badly against Atalanta in recent times — conceding nine goals in their last three meetings. In the reverse fixture, Atalanta edged it 3:2, and their track record on the road suggests they’ll control proceedings again in Florence.
