Serie A Preview: Atalanta - Chievo Verona

Atalanta look to bounce back from last weekend’s surprise defeat to Sampdoria with a victory over lowly Chievo Verona on Sunday afternoon…

Kick off: Sunday, March 01, 15:00 CET, Bergamo, Italy

Home Cooking

Atalanta currently sit in eighth place in the domestic table and have put together a successful season so far. The Nerazzurri have a realistic shot of securing a coveted UEFA Cup spot if their good form continues in the business end of the campaign.
Luigi Del Neri’s men were riding a season-high three-match winning streak before it was surprisingly snapped by Sampdoria last weekend. Del Neri was less than pleased with the outcome and warned his players to concentrate on survival rather than European glory.
"We look too much for beautiful goals,” he said, speaking after the Sampdoria loss. “There was talk of qualifying for Europe but I think about reaching safety. We might talk about Europe next season but then we can't afford drops in concentration like today. We are built to achieve safety and we have to do it quickly. Our objective remains safety and that's it."
Atalanta's inconsistency away from home has been one of their major flaws this season as they have only managed two wins on the road. This is in stark contrast to their home form; they have brushed aside the likes of Inter Milan and Rome with relative ease at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia.
Atalanta will look to bounce back from the disappointing loss to Samp and will welcome lowly Chievo to Bergamo on Sunday. The home side will be the heavy favourites and will need all three points to continue their European quest - whether their manager wants to admit it or not.

Survival Mode

Chievo have been mired in the relegation zone for most of the season but have been fighting off Serie A extinction with renewed vigour as of late, losing only one match in the new calendar year.
Domenico Di Carlo’s men drew their first match after the winter break but then went on to defeat Napoli and Reggina to give their supporters hope that safe land was on the horizon.
After four consecutive 1-1 draws, Chievo lost a controversial thriller to Fiorentina last weekend when Adrian Mutu scored an injury time winner on an attack that the Flying Donkeys thought began with a blatant foul on one of their players.
A precious point was lost and Di Carlo was less than pleased with the final outcome but urged his troops to put the defeat behind them
"There's no point talking about the unfavourable episodes against Fiorentina," he said. "I have nothing to say against the players. My team has shown personality but now we must concentrate on Atalanta."
Chievo will travel to Bergamo, where obtaining a positive result is easier said than done, to face Atalanta on Sunday and even a draw would go a long way in helping the Flying Donkey’s in their attempt soar out of the relegation zone by season’s end.

TEAM FORM

Atalanta

February 22 vs Sampdoria (A) LOST 1-0
February 15 vs Roma (H) WON 3-0
February 08 vs Cagliari (A) WON 1-0
February 01 vs Catania (H) WON 1-0
January 28 vs Bologna (A) LOST 1-0

Chievo Verona

February 22 vs Fiorentina (A) LOST 2-1
February 15 vs Catania (H) DREW 1-1
February 08 vs Torino (A) DREW 1-1
February 01 vs Sampdoria (H) DREW 1-1
January 28 vs Lecce (H) DREW 1-1

TEAM NEWS

Atalanta

Del Neri will be without the services of Cristiano Doni, Jose Leonardo Talamonti and Christian Vieri, who are all nursing various types of injuries.
Possible starting XI- Consigli- Garics, Capelli, Manfredini, Bellini- Ferreira Pinto, Cigarini, Guarente, Padoin, Valdes- Floccari

Chievo Verona

Di Carlo has no serious injuries to contend with but will be without the influential sharpshooter Vincenzo Italiano, who will miss out through suspension.
Possible starting XI- Sorrentino- Frey, Morero, Yepes, Mantovani- Luciano, Marcolini, Bentivoglio- Pinzi, Pellissier, Makinwa

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Luca Cigarini ( Atalanta )

The club’s marquee summer signing returned from a long injury lay-off and injected the midfield with some creativity and flair that sparked his side to three straight victories before losing to Sampdoria last weekend. He will be in the thick of things on Sunday afternoon as he tries to link up with Sergio Floccari in what should be a straightforward affair against Chievo

Sergio Pellissier ( Chievo Verona )

The Chievo captain has been a bit of a disappointment this season after leading the Flying Donkey’s out of the Serie B last term. He has found the back of the net only three times in 25 games and needs to find his goal scoring touch sooner than later if Chievo wish to retain their Serie A status.

PREDICTION

Atalanta are a tough nut to crack at home and even without Doni should cruise to a comfortable victory with Floccari bagging a brace in the process.

Atalanta 2-0 Chievo Verona

Max De Luca, Goal.com
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Serie A Preview: Palermo – Catania

The Sicilian derby takes place in Palermo this weekend, as the Rosanero host Catania in what is certain to be a fiery affair in the south of Italy.

Kick-Off: Saturday 1 March, 15:00 CET. Renzo Barbera Stadium, Palermo.

European Football On Palermo’s Agenda

Palermo had an outstanding start to 2009, as they managed to win their first three matches of the year, against Atalanta, Sampdoria and Udinese respectively. Since then however, their results and form have gone from bad to worse, with just one win and three goals recorded in their past five outings.
Despite their inconsistency of late, the Rosanero still find themselves in the top half of the table, and in a position where they can challenge for European football next term.
In fact, the home side in this match are seven points adrift of the sixth placed Roma, the team that occupies the sixth and final European qualifying position. In addition to this, just one point separates them and the seventh placed Cagliari, a position that will guarantee a club a spot in Europe next season, if Inter and Juventus are to make the Coppa Italia final.
With this in mind, Davide Ballardini’s men will be desperate to win this contest, to ensure that they maintain the pace with Cagliari, as well as Atalanta, who they currently are equal on points with.
Fortunately for their sake, this weekend’s Sicilian derby is scheduled to be played at the Renzo Barbera stadium in Palermo, a ground that has become a fortress for the club, as they have recorded nine wins, no draws and only three defeats this season.
This should give them enough confidence in the lead up to the match; however they will need to be switched on for the entire 90 minutes against their fierce rivals, if they are to attain a positive result this weekend.

Catania Edging Closer To Drop Zone

Catania were one of the surprise packets in the first half of the campaign, as they managed to comfortably sit in the top half of the table towards the end of 2008. Since then however, they have dropped off completely, and consequently their position in the standings has worsened.
At present, the Sicilian outfit are in thirteenth place, just eight points clear of the relegation zone, and although they may not be in danger of losing their topflight status at this point in time, a few more negative results may very well change that.
In addition to this, their form this year has been disastrous, so the signs are not looking good for them. In fact, last weekend’s 2-0 victory over the cellar dwellers Reggina was to be their first of 2009, after they had failed to do so in their opening seven fixtures.
Their most impressive results this term have come in front of their own fans, although unfortunately for their sake, this particular match will be played away from their Angelo Massimiliano stadium.
Their away form this season has been dreadful to say the least, so the Rossazzurri will certainly not be confident heading into this encounter with a team that has one of the best home records to their name.
In fact, in 12 matches on the road thus far, Walter Zenga’s men have managed just six goals and zero victories. In addition to this they have recorded five draws along the way; however the main issue for the club is that they have the worst traveling record in the competition.
With this in mind, a draw would be an acceptable result for the visitors in this match, as Zenga and his players will certainly be aware of the fact that their opponents simply must win, as they can ill afford to lose more ground in the race for European qualification.
Catania defeated Palermo earlier in the season by a 2-0 score line, and if they can play half as well as they did on that day, then anything could be possible at the Renzo Barbera stadium this weekend.

FORM GUIDE

Palermo

February 21 v Juventus (H) LOST 0-2
February 15 v Reggina (A) DREW 0-0
February 8 v Napoli (H) WON 2-1
February 1 v Genoa (A) LOST 0-1
January 28 v Roma (H) LOST 1-2

Catania

February 22 v Reggina (H) WON 2-0
February 15 v Chievo (A) DREW 1-1
February 8 v Juventus (H) LOST 1-2
February 1 v Atalanta (H) LOST 0-1
January 28 v Inter (H) LOST 2-0

TEAM NEWS

Palermo:

The news on the injury front is fairly positive for the Rosanero, as they are only without Levan Mchedlidze and the long term casualty Igor Budan. Ballardini is likely to employ his traditional 4-3-1-2 formation that has worked wonders for his team this season, with Fabio Simplicio playing in behind Fabrizio Miccoli and Edison Cavani up front.
Possible Starting XI – (4-3-1-2): Amelia; Cassani, Kjaer, Bovo, Balzaretti; Nocerino, Liverani, Bresciano; Simplicio; Cavani, Miccoli.

Catania:

Walter Zenga has a full strength squad available for the Sicilian derby, as there are no injuries or suspensions to deal with for his side. A whole host of players are one booking away from a one match ban however, and so they will have to be careful this weekend. These players include Albano Bizzarri, Pablo Ledesma, Jorge Andres Martinez, Giuseppe Mascara, Michele Paolucci and Takayuki Morimoto, the last three of which are in line to head the Catania attack in this match.
Possible Starting XI – (4-3-3): Bizzarri; Potenza, Silvestre, Stovini, Capuano; Biagianti, Ledesma, Tedesco; Morimoto, Paolucci, Mascara.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Palermo – Fabrizio Miccoli: The Rosanero hitman is going to need to be at his best to ensure that his side achieve their desired outcome this weekend. Despite their opponent’s inconsistent form at present, Miccoli will be aware that Catania will be as motivated as ever to perform well in this match, so the 29-year-old veteran must lead from the front right from the onset.

Catania – Albano Bizzarri: The Argentinean goal keeper has been simply spectacular this season, and he will need to put in another outstanding performance if his side are to take anything away from this contest. Palermo have been brilliant at the Renzo Barbera this term, as they have managed 23 goals in 12 matches, and because of Catania’s inability to score on the road, the 31-year-old must be switched on from the word go.

PREDICTION

This match is certain to be a fiery affair, between two sides that will be desperate to claim victory for differing reasons. The Rosanero need a victory to enhance their chances of qualifying for Europe next season, whilst the Etnei require the three points to calm their relegation fears. For that reason I am expecting this one to end all square, with Miccoli and Paolucci finding the back of the net in the process.

Palermo 1-1 Catania

Adrian Del Monte, Goal.com
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Serie A Preview: Udinese - Lecce

Udinese and Lecce both desperately need points when the two meet in the north on Sunday...


Kick-Off: Sunday, March 1, 15:00 CET. Stadio Friuli, Udine

Matching European & Domestic Form

Udinese remained the last Italian side in the UEFA Cup when Thursday evening arrived. Their 2-1 victory over Polish side, Lech Poznan left them flying the flag for the whole country, and they will want to translate some of that confidence into Serie A points.
In the league however, the Zebrette have not been able to recapture last year’s form. They currently lie outside the top ten in Serie A, and European football next season looks a long way away, unless they go the full distance and triumph in this term's UEFA Cup.
They have not won in the league since Febuary 8, when they secured a home victory against Bologna. Since then, there was the draw against Siena, and the shocking loss to Torino in the last round. It seems teams have gotten used to coach, Pasquale Marino impressive front three.

Falling Down

Lecce have now lost three in a row, and their league position is beginning to reflect their bad form.
Their last points in the league, came on February 1, when they won away to Siena. Everything looked rosy then, but how quickly things have changed.
With Torino beating the southerners' opponents, Udinese, in the last round, Il Toro condemned Lecce to the relegation zone. Today’s visitors are only a point behind however, and there is no need for Mario Beretta or his men to panic yet.
But it is a case of clear and present danger, and if they are to get out of this hole, they better start working... and fast.
Lecce have been unlucky in recent games, though. Against Cagliari, only the woodwork denied them an equaliser before the Sardinians got their second goal.
And although they were outplayed by Lazio over the course of their last match, things could have been so different, and the Biancocelesti really had the post to thank.
If they are to stay in Italy’s top division, Beretta’s team will have to somehow change their luck.

FORM GUIDE

Udinese

08/02 (Serie A): Udinese 1-0 Bologna
15/02 (Serie A): Siena 1-1 Udinese
19/02 (Serie A): Lech Poznan 2-2 Udinese
22/02 (Serie A): Torino 1-0 Udinese
26/02 (Serie A): Udinese 2–1 Lech Poznan

Lecce

28/01 (Serie A): Chievo 1-1 Lecce
01/02 (Serie A): Siena 1-2 Lecce
07/02 (Serie A): Lecce 0-3 Inter
15/02 (Serie A): Cagliari 2-0 Lecce
22/02 (Serie A): Lecce 0-2 Lazio

TEAM NEWS

Udinese

It is always easier to get over fatigue when you have won, and that will surely be the case here.
The 4-3-3 formation is one they use to good effect, and unless anyone feels drained, the team should be similar to the one that played on Thursday. The only exception should be the inclusion of Dias Felipe in central defence to replace Maurizio Domizzi, who has to serve a two-match ban following his sending off at the end of the Torino game for protesting too vehemently when his side was denied a penalty.
Possible Formation (4-3-3): Belardi – Zapata, Coda, Felipe, Pasquale – Inler, D'Agostino, Isla – Pepe, Quagliarella, Di Natale

Lecce

It looks like Beretta will make a handful of changes, including a formation switch to a 3-5-2 system for this match, with Andrea Esposito as third central defender beside Guglielmo Stendardo and Brazilian, Fabiano.
In midfield, another Samba-man, Angelo, could come in for Guillermo Giacomazzi, who seems to have picked up a knock. In attack, Daniele Cacia, looks like he will not make this clash, leaving Jose Castillo to slot back in up front to partner Simone Tiribocchi.
Possible Formation (3-5-2): Benussi – Stendardo, Fabiano, Esposito – Angelo, Munari, Edinho, Caserta, Ariatti – Castillo, Tiribocchi

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Udinese

Two of the home side’s three strikers were on target in midweek. While Antonio Di Natale and Simone Pepe got the goals, it was Kwadwo Asamoah who stood out, but whether or not he did well enough to earn a starting spot in this one remains to be seen.
Young midfielder Gaetano D’Agostino also had a good game, and he is fast becoming the player who creates chances and inspires the side.

Lecce

Their two best players at present are at opposite ends of the pitch. Despite the string of bad results, goalkeeper Francesco Benussi has been doing superbly well.
At the other end, forward Simone Tiribocchi has been coming close to earning vital points for his team, game after game, but maybe this time he will manage something significant.

PREDICTION

The home side have been very shaky in the league recently, but with Lecce’s situation getting ever more dangerous, the Udine outfit could get a decent result, although this one should end in a draw.

Udinese 1-1 Lecce

Simone Finaldi, Goal.com
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