Serie A Preview: Atalanta BC vs. Udinese Calcio – La Dea ambitious to stun the Bianconeri
Atalanta running strong in the top flight
La Dea came into the Italian Serie A after earning a promotion to the top tier from the second division Serie B. However, the good news did not sustain long enough as the club was accused of match fixing and two of their best players; Captain Cristiano Doni,
and defender Thomas Manfredini, were the ones accused.
The match fixing scandal affected their run in the Serie A badly as they received a penalty of 6 points ahead of the 2011/12 season, automatically putting them behind all the teams in the top flight. However, the Orobici came back strongly and won 3 out
of the first 5 games, but despite putting up a good performance, they have only managed to reach up to the 16th spot in the league rankings with 4 points.
However, La Dea are ambitious to win and are keen to take the game to the visitors as they will be having their home ground advantage. It will be a great upset in Serie A if the recently promoted side is able to defeat the current league leaders. Moreover,
they are undefeated at home up until now and they are looking keen to keep a clean home run.
Udinese leading in the race to Scudetto
Udinese emerged as strong runners in the Scudetto race last season where they finished 4th in the league earning a place in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds. However, the Bianconeri a big blow during the summer transfer window where
they lost the best player of the club, Alexis Sanchez, and a quality midfielder, Gokhan Inler.
Although the loss of the two aces was considered to be a setback by many, the Zebrette have managed to come through strongly in the 2011/12 season. They are the league leaders currently with a draw on points with Juventus FC. The Friuli outfit have stayed
unbeaten through the first five games; winning on 3 occasions, while 2 games ended stalemate.
The Bianconeri are now up against the recently promoted Atalanta outfit that is looking very strong this season. The hosts have the advantage of home turf, but the men in black and white jerseys are running on pure passion and are ambitious to make a concrete
bid for the Scudetto this term. The game is reckoned to be a close contest between the two strong teams.
Team News
Atalanta BC
Adriano Ferreira Pinto and Cristiano Doni are sidelined due to injuries. Ezequiel Schelotto, Matteo Ardemagni, Leonardo Pettinari and Stefano Lucchini are doubtful to be available for the clash against Udinese Calcio.
German Denis would be the key player for the hosts in the upcoming game.
Udinese Calcio
The Bianconeri will have to visit Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia without Maurizio Domizzi, Barreto, Giovanni Pasquale, Antonio Floro Flores and Andrea Coda, as the aforementioned players are suffering from injuries.
The talismanic hitman, Antonio Di Natale, would be the highlight of the game for the Zebrette.
Prediction
The game is reckoned to be a tight contest as both teams have made an impact early on the ongoing season. The game would end in a draw with score level at 1-1.