Atalanta vs Inter Milan predictions, betting tips & match preview

Frank de Boer’s Inter continued their inconsistent season with a 2-1 defeat at home to Cagliari last weekend. That result left them in the bottom half of the table. They did claim a much needed win over Southampton in the Europa League, but that has just steadied the ship. There are still some big issues for the club to face, and they need to move quickly to save their campaign at home and in Europe.

The club were rocked this week by a scandal surrounding key man Mario Icardi. The fans have demanded he give up the captain’s armband, after some quotes he made about the supporters in a recent autobiography. It seems like the club have to pick between their top scorer or the will of those in the stands. It’s just the latest trouble around Icardi, who seem to only miss out on the Argentina squad due to his off-field issues.

However, Icardi has proven himself to be a fantastic asset so far this season. He signed a new five year deal in the summer, warding off interest from Premier League clubs. While the Inter captain has a habit of getting in trouble, he also possesses the mind-set to deal with it. He’s scored 60% of their Serie A goals so far, and we wouldn’t be surprised if he added to it this weekend. The forward is 11/10 here to score any time.

An even bigger issue for Inter to sort out is their struggling defence. It’s been a key factor in their poor season. They concede far too many goals, as shown by the two they gave away against Cagliari. They’ve conceded 1.25 per game so far this season, and they’ve let in the opening goal in 75% of their matches. While Icardi is firing in the goals, the Inter back-line is nowhere near top form.

Those stats will delight Atalanta fans, they are hoping to see their club pull off another big result. They’ve drawn with Fiorentina and beaten Napoli in recent weeks, which shows they’re capable of a shock. They’ve also hit 1.5 goals per game at home, conceding the same number. The hosts clearly have a few defensive issues of their own, but they should have no trouble hurting Inter.

Both sides have scored in Inter’s last seven trips to Atalanta, and we’re backing that record to continue. Both sides are far too open at the back, so we’re predicting goals between these two once again. In six of Inter’s last seven, they’ve scored and failed to keep a clean sheet. BTTS is priced at 3/4 here with bet365.