A season without European participation means that AC Milan have no excuse not to be in the title race, but they continue to be their own worst enemy. They travel to Bergamo to meet Atalanta next, who have not won in four competitive matches.
La Dea’s streak of draws continued during the weekend, when their efforts were not enough to beat Cremonese. Before that, they failed against Slavia Prague in the Champions League in a 0-0 stalemate. Goals have been hard to find for Atalanta lately and the team last scored more than one goal in a game in late September. Their strong defence has been the only thing keeping them in contention for the European spots.
As for AC Milan, how is it possible to beat the champions Napoli and Fiorentina, and then almost lose to last-placed Pisa? Not dropping points in matches that should be guaranteed wins will be crucial in the title race, and the draw with Pisa allowed both Napoli and Roma to overtake them at the top. Nevertheless, the Rossoneri are unbeaten in eight consecutive games and have mostly taken advantage of not playing in either of UEFA’s competitions this season.
How the bookies view it: There is no favourite
If you ever need to give an example of a match with no clear favourite, you can use this fixture. Bookmakers are offering identical odds for both teams, so you can choose both Atalanta and AC Milan at 8/5. The draw is clearly also a possibility and currently available at 23/10.
Recent head-to-head: La Dea are unbeaten in five
Atalanta have become an absolute nightmare for AC Milan in recent seasons, with the Rossoneri losing four of the last five encounters. Milan's last victory dates back to early 2023, and their last win at the Gewiss Stadium to 2021.
Players to watch: Leao is back on track
AC Milan remain without Christian Pulisic, who picked up an injury during the international break. With this in mind, our eyes are set on Rafael Leao, who finally regained his form after being sidelined in the first four rounds of the season.
The 26-year-old put out back-to-back flawless performances against Fiorentina and Pisa, scoring three goals in the process. We expect less action against Atalanta but if anyone can lead Milan to victory, it is Leao.
Probable line-ups
Atalanta: Carnesecchi, Djimsiti, Hien, Ahanor, Bellanova, Ederson, De Roon, Zalewski, De Ketelaere, Lookman, Scamacca
AC Milan: Maignan, Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic, Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Ricci, Bartesaghi, Nkunku, Leao
Anything else catch the eye?
As mentioned above, we don’t expect goals in this matchup. Atalanta, in particular, have not only struggled with scoring, but will play their third fixture in six days. Fatigue will play its role and we don’t expect them to score at all.
At the same time, they’ve not conceded more than one goal to Milan since 2023, and we anticipate that they will rely heavily on defence and counters. Another 0-0 is possible, but we have a feeling that Milan will find a way to clutch a 1-0 win away in Bergamo.
GambleAware