Analysis and prediction for Atalanta BC vs Club Brugge: A humiliating defeat on Italian soil.
The Champions League match between Atalanta BC and Club Brugge will take place at 3:00 AM on February 19th. Nghe An Newspaper analyzes the teams' form, provides football commentary, and predicts the score.
Latest team news for Atalanta BC vs Club Brugge
Atalanta entered the match with significant defensive deficiencies as both Odilon Kossounou and Giorgio Scalvini were absent. Their attack also lacked the support of Gianluca Scamacca.
Ademola Lookman's health is also a major concern for the team, as he has missed the last six games due to a knee problem.
The availability of Daniel Maldini and Sead Kolasinac needs to be carefully assessed ahead of the second leg. Similarly, Ibrahim Sulemana may also be unavailable after being forced to leave the field early in the match against Cagliari.
In preparation for Tuesday's crucial match, coach Gasperini made some changes to the lineup in Saturday's goalless draw. It is expected that Rui Patricio, Berat Djimsiti, Raoul Bellanova, Marten de Roon, Ederson, Davide Zappacosta, and Charles De Ketelaere will return to the starting XI.
On Club Brugge's side, they may have to play without defender Bjorn Meijer, who has missed the last six matches due to injury.
Coach Nicky Hayen is likely to bring Raphael Onyedika and Tzolis back into the starting lineup, after making some changes over the weekend.
Onyedika could partner with Ardon Jashari in the central midfield, while Tzolis will take on an attacking role on the left wing after scoring a crucial goal from the bench at the weekend.
Jutgla could be the one to lead the attack, after scoring his first European goal of the season in the first leg.
Latest predicted lineups for Atalanta BC vs Club Brugge
Atalanta BC:
Patricio; Posch, Hien, Djimsiti; Bellanova, De Roon, Ederson, Zappacosta; Pasalic; De Ketelaere, Retegui
Club Brugge:
Mignolet; Seys, Ordonez, Mechele, De Cuyper; Jashari, Oyedika; Talbi, Vanaken, Tzolis; Jutgla
Latest football match prediction: Atalanta BC vs Club Brugge
Seeded as the top seed after finishing ninth in their group, Atalanta will play the second leg at home. However, missing out on direct qualification to the Round of 16 must be a source of regret for Gian Piero Gasperini's team. Despite being seventh before the final matchday, their 2-2 draw against Barcelona has relegated them to an ineligible position.
In the first leg against Club Brugge, Mario Pasalic's 41st-minute equalizer gave Atalanta hope of a draw, after falling behind early to Ferran Jutgla's goal. But drama unfolded in the final minutes when Club Brugge were awarded a controversial penalty. The VAR confirmed that Isak Hien had fouled Gustaf Nilsson, and Nilsson converted, resulting in Atalanta's first away defeat in European competition this season. Now, they must overturn the deficit if they want to reach the last 16 for the third time in their Champions League history.
Atalanta's disappointing run of form continued as they were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Cagliari in Serie A on Saturday, further diminishing their title hopes. They currently sit third, five points behind leaders Inter Milan.
To win a Champions League knockout match for the second time in their history, Atalanta will need to put in a lot of effort. Their recent home form has been poor, winning only one of their last six matches in all competitions.
Club Brugge dramatically qualified for the knockout stage after finishing 24th in their group, ahead of Dinamo Zagreb (25th) on goal difference.
The Belgian champions won three, drew two and lost three of their eight group stage matches, with two home wins against Aston Villa and Sporting Lisbon. Their narrow victory over Atalanta last week extended their unbeaten home run in European competitions to four matches, ending a 15-match winless streak against Italian teams in UEFA competitions.
Despite failing to secure a victory against Sint-Truiden in Saturday's domestic league match, Club Brugge can be pleased with a 2-2 draw after being two goals down, thanks to goals from Hans Vanaken and Christos Tzolis in the 90th minute. This result extends their unbeaten run to four consecutive matches.
The last time Club Brugge traveled to Italy was a 1-3 defeat against AC Milan in October, their seventh loss in their last 11 away games against Serie A teams (1 win, 4 draws).
However, Club Brugge's task this time is somewhat simpler: they only need to avoid defeat to secure a place in the round of 16. They can also be confident with an impressive statistic: they have advanced to the next round in 14 out of their last 16 matches where they won the first leg at home in European competitions.
Latest Atalanta BC vs Club Brugge score prediction
Based on the above football analysis, we and leading football websites worldwide have provided our predictions for the match.Atalanta BC vs Club Bruggeas follows:
- Sportsmole:Atalanta BC 3-2 Club Brugge
- WhoScore:Atalanta BC 3-0 Club Brugge
- Our newspaper predicts:Atalanta BC 3-1 Club Brugge
When and where can I watch Atalanta BC vs Club Brugge live?
To watch the Atalanta BC vs Club Brugge match live in the Champions League at 3:00 AM on February 19th, viewers can tune in to the following channels:K+ Sport,K+PMor online sports channels. We hope you enjoy watching football.
