Atalanta – Torino

Torino should put up a fight against weakened Atalanta

Atalanta secured their second win this season. After three points against Sampdoria and a draw against Milan, Gian Piero Gasperini's side beat Verona narrowly. The game was a double-edged sword, and it seemed to have been played to the first mistake. It was made by the Hellas centre-backs who allowed Compeyners to shoot freely from long range. However, this result was no indication of the team's good form. As before (a draw against Milan despite the Rossoneri's dominance and an unconvincing win over the Genoese), the Goddess are clearly not looking their best. The number of chances that the Bergamasks allow their opponents to create is off the charts, and the team themselves are far from being as mobile in attack. Gasperini are unlikely to break into Champions League contention with a game like this. Torino are also unbeaten at the start of the season. "The Bulls beat newcomers Monza and Cremonese by the same scoreline and also drew dryly with Lazio. Despite the loss of Bremer, Turin's defence has been decent. The two goals against the newcomers were conceded at the end with a loss of concentration. That's bad, of course, but the systematic nature of the problem will enable them to deal with it sooner rather than later. The match against the Biancocelesti will be more telling. Torino played extremely disciplined and did not allow a more distinguished opponent to seize the initiative. The team allowed a minimum of shots on goal. Last season, the Bulls were just about the most reliable in defence. In terms of conceded goals, only Milan, Inter, Napoli and Juventus were better. Ivan Juric's Torino (as well as Verona) have not been easy opponents for the Bergamasks. Last season, Gian Piero Gasperini's side defeated the Bulls in the first leg, but by a narrow margin and very poor play. In the second leg, they drew 4-4. "It is unlikely that they will ever repeat the 0-7 victory of January 2020. What's more, the team now (despite picking up points) is showing very poor football. Juric's disciplined team could well create a sensation in this meeting.