Serie A 18-19/12/2021: Atalanta host Roma, AC Milan and Napoli face off

Of Europe’s top five leagues, picking a title winner is like picking a needle in a haystack! Indeed, you could throw a blanket over the top four. We have two intriguing clashes to look forward to this weekend – Atalanta v Roma, and AC Milan v Napoli. We will give you the full lowdown, as well as discuss the latest match odds.

Atalanta in the groove heading to Roma clash

Atalanta have been in mesmerising form. They have won six on the bounce in Italy’s top flight, and that included wins over Napoli and Juventus. While most of the title focus has been on AC Milan and Inter Milan, Atalanta are just three points off the top, and they have been a model of consistency over the past few seasons.

Indeed, Atalanta are the in-form team, and only Inter have scored more goals than them this campaign. After Roma, Atalanta have a nice run of fixtures, which sees them take in Genoa, Torino, and Udinese. Last weekend, Atalanta were forced to come from behind to beat Verona 2-1.

Roma eager to arrest poor run of form

After two defeats on the spin, Roma will be eager to get back to winning ways. Before they pit their wits against Atalanta, Roma take on Spezia. And it will see Jose Mourinho reunited with Thiago Motta, as he used to manage Motta when he was in charge of Inter Milan. Roma are currently eighth in the Serie A table.

Jose Mourinho makes an honest assessment of the January transfer window

With the transfer window set to reopen in a few weeks, there could be some sides trying to pinch a bargain here or there. Of course, January is a notoriously difficult time to strike deals. And when asked about his side’s transfer plans, Mourinho said: “I want the best possible team, but I know we can’t make a big investment in January.”

AC Milan are in it for a long haul

AC Milan have undergone a serious transformation over the past few years. This season, they have managed to grind out results when they’re not at their best. And they have shown they are serious title contenders, who will be in it for the long haul. As things stand, Milan are just a point behind table-toppers Inter in the title race.

Revealing the key stats behind AC Milan’s draw with Udinese

Milan needed a last-gasp equaliser from Zlatan Ibrahimovic to rescue a point away to Udinese. But there were some key stats that came out of that game that make for interesting reading. Ibrahimovic became the third player to net 300 goals or more in Europe’s top five leagues in the 2000s. The other two are Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Milan have now failed to win four of their last six matches, which is as many as in their previous 20 Serie A outings. Also, the Rossoneri scored with their first and only shot on target against Udinese. Maybe there are signs that the Christmas break is coming at an opportune time for them.

Meanwhile, Napoli will be desperate to make amends for their surprise 1-0 defeat to Empoli last weekend. Results have been mixed of late, and perhaps it should be seen as only a bit of a wobble. However, Piotr Zielinski and Dries Mertens will ask tough questions of the Milan back four.

AC Milan v Napoli: A look back at past encounters

AC Milan v Napoli has all the ingredients to be a classic, and it could be tough picking a winner. The head-to-head record is often a good gauge of how things may turn out. Last season, Napoli pinched a 1-0 win away at the San Siro. On that day, Matteo Politano scored the only goal of the game.

Ante Rebic was sent off for the hosts. But in the game before that, Milan ran out 3-1 winners, and Ibrahimovic popped up with a double. As mentioned before, this game could go either way, so a draw might offer value here.

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