The Coppa Italia Round of 16 match between Atalanta and Cesena will take place on December 18 at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo. Atalanta vs. Cesena: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Predicted lineups for Atalanta vs. Cesena
Atalanta (3-4-3): Marco Carnesecchi – Isak Hien, Sead Kolasinac, Odilon Kossounou – Raoul Bellanova, Ederson Loures, Matteo Ruggeri, Mario Pasalic – Marco Brescianini, Charles De Ketelaere – Mateo Retegui.
Cesena (3-4-2-1): Jonathan Klinsmann – Giuseppe Prestia, Massimiliano Mangraviti, Marco Curto – Matteo Francesconi, Giacomo Calò, Joseph Sissay, Daniele Donnarumma – Tommaso Berti, Mirko Antonucci – Cristian Shpend.
The starting lineup for each team is based on their previous match.
Atalanta
The Bergamaschi finished last season in 4th place, which allowed them to start the current Coppa Italia from the Round of 16. In the previous edition, the team reached the final but lost to Juventus 0-1. The club also reached the final in 2019 and 2021, but they have only won the Coppa Italia once, back in 1963.
- Atalanta's uncompromising streak in this tournament consists of 11 matches (6 wins and 5 losses).
- The number "1" has appeared in the scoreline at the end of regular time in Atalanta's last six Coppa Italia matches.
- The club has not lost in the first 45 minutes of their last 10 home games in this tournament (7 wins and 3 draws).
Cesena
The Serie B representative has already advanced through three stages of the Coppa Italia. The team started with a home victory over Padova (3-1), followed by two away wins against Verona (2-1) and Pisa (1-0). The last time the club reached this stage was in the 2016/17 season, where they succeeded with an away win against Sassuolo (2-1). However, Cesena did not advance past the quarter-finals, losing away to Roma (1-2). Last season, the team ended their Coppa Italia campaign in August, losing away to Bologna (0-2).
- The team has lost in regular time only twice in their last 12 Coppa Italia matches (7 wins and 3 draws).
- Both teams scored in 8 of Cesena's last 10 games in this tournament.
- The number "1" appeared in the scoreline at the end of regular time in 8 of the club's last 10 Coppa Italia encounters.
Atalanta vs. Cesena: Match Prediction
Last season, the Bergamaschi missed out on two trophies despite winning the Europa League: they not only lost in the Coppa Italia final but also in the UEFA Super Cup match. Judging by the performances Gian Piero Gasperini's team is showing this season, they are clearly aiming to improve their results. Atalanta is among the leaders in Serie A and has a good chance of reaching the Champions League playoffs, potentially advancing directly to the Round of 16.
It is unlikely that Atalanta will disregard the Coppa Italia, especially since their Round of 16 opponent is manageable. Even in Serie B, Cesena struggles on the road, having collected only 5 points from 8 matches (1 win and 2 draws). At home, Atalanta has only lost in the Coppa Italia to competitors fighting for a top-four spot. In other cases, the club wins, often by two or more goals. Atalanta has not hosted lower league opponents in the Coppa Italia for over 8 years, and back then, they consistently defeated their opponents not only by more than one goal but also with a clean sheet.
I am confident that the hosts will easily handle the Serie B representative this time as well. My prediction – Atalanta with a handicap (-1.5)
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