Atalanta vs Lecce
Football : Italy : Seria A
Venue: Stadio Atleti Azzuri d’Italia, Bergamo
Saturday 12th February – Kickoff time: 15:00 GMT+1

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Atalanta (8th W-7 D-8 L-6)

Atalanta lost yet another match last weekend, making it 4 losses out of 5. They were unable to put an end to Palermo’s fine run, goals from Miccoli and Budan securing the Sicilians another three points.

The match was pretty much decided in the 29th minute, when Consigli’s foul on Miccoli inside the box earned the goalkeeper a red card, with the former Italian international converting the penalty past his replacement, Giorgio Frezzolini.

Atalanta have lost their last two home games, both 2-0, but they had to face AC Milan and Juventus in those fixtures, the teams from the top 2 positions.

Consigli and Cigarini are suspended, but the good news for their fans is that their top striker Germain Denis has served his suspension and will lead Atalanta’s attacks. Denis was the one who scored the both goals in Atalanta’s 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture.


Probable Atalanta line-up :

Frezzolini
Raimondi, Lucchini, Stendardo, Peluso
Schelotto, Brighi, Carmona, Moralez
Gabbiadini, Denis

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Lecce (18th W-4 D-5 L-13)

Lecce had an excellent run in January with victories over Fiorentina (away) and Inter Milano (home), but they were unable to win their last two fixtures against Udinese and Bologna.

Udinese caused their 6th defeat on the road this season, Di Natale prevailing once again. Despite having the possession (55%), Lecce’s chase for an equalizer in the second half proved to be unsuccessful.

Central defender Moris Carrozzieri is suspended for this match, so former Genoa player, Esposito is likely to replace him.

Probable Lecce line-up :

Sergio
Oddo, Esposito, Tomovic
Cuadrado, Giacomazzi, Blasi, Bertolacci, Brivio
Michele, Muriel

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The Betting Verdict

As a result of their latest defeats, Atalanta slipped to the 15th place on the table and the pressure is starting to build up on coach La Dea. On the other hand, Lecce is chasing 17th placed Siena in their attempt to avoid relegation.

Atalanta only lost two games this season, but they played against top opponents like Juventus and Milan. The victories over Palermo, Novara, Cagliari or Cesena prove that when are considered favorites they can make the most of the home advantage.

Lecce pulled of some impressive results lately and it’s interesting that 3 of their 4 victories this season were obtained on the road, but I can’t see them improving that record against Atalanta, a solid side especially at home. Lecce has serious issues in their defensive compartment, they already leaked 38 goals this season, making them the second worst defense from Seria A.

The Statistics :

The Pick :

Atalanta 2-1 Lecce

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

Take Atalanta to win at 1.91 at Pinnacle
Confidence: 7/10