Torino vs Atalanta 26/09/20

26 September 2020

Torino and Atalanta will face off against each other at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino this weekend in a potentially high-scoring Serie A affair. Indeed, both of their last season’s H2Hs produced over 1.5 first-half goals and at least five at full-time.

A narrow 1-0 away loss to Fiorentina on Matchday 1 now means that the hosts are winless in six consecutive Serie A fixtures, last season included (D3, L3). A lack of firepower up front saw Torino finish the 2019/20 campaign with the division’s fourth-worst goal-scoring ratio of 1.21 goals netted per Serie A game. Additionally, Marco Giampaolo’s men were one of just two sides to fail to smash a 10-goal first-half barrier on home soil last term (nine goals scored). Yet, despite succumbing to a disastrous 7-0 home loss in their last season’s top-flight H2H, the ‘Maroons’ must be confident of getting on the scoresheet as they had found the back of the net in four successive such clashes prior.

Meanwhile, it will be Atalanta’s first competitive outing since a 2-1 defeat to PSG in the Champions League quarter-finals. The visitors finished third in Serie A back in 2019/20, only five points adrift of reigning champions Juventus. But, Gian Piero Gasperini’s men were by far the most prolific Italian side last season, scoring a total of 98 Serie A goals on an average of 2.57 goals per top-flight fixture. Additionally, only Inter Milan returned more away points than ‘La Dea’ (40) last term, with Atalanta winning 57.89% of their league trips back then (W11, D7, L1). Yet, the majority (54.55%) of those triumphs yielded a narrow one-goal margin (6/11).