Atalanta
Champions League
8th Finals
Wed , Feb 24 , 2021 21:00
0 - 1
Real Madrid
Atalanta
Real Madrid
0 - 1
Atalanta welcomes Real Madrid to the Gewiss Stadium on Wednesday for the first leg in the last 16 of the Champions League. Read our reasons for Atalanta vs Real Madrid prediction and betting tips.
It is almost impossible to believe that team that has only two Champions League appearances is a favorite against the side that lifted a trophy 13 times but everything could happen when a club from Bergamo is involved. Gian Piero Gasperini insisted Atalanta ‘feel like we’ve been run over by a train and emerged without a scratch’ after beating Napoli 4-2 and prepares for Real Madrid. “This was a huge, huge risk. We won 4-2, but it could’ve gone very differently. The refereeing was a big obstacle and so were the opponents!” Gasp told the media. The coach was sent off in the first half for protesting about a potential Mario Rui penalty challenge on Matteo Pessina. “This is one incident, there were others that weren’t quite so decisive, but they add up. They were difficult for us to deal with through the evening. I said it was a clear penalty because I could see from 70 meters away, let alone from up close. It is also a bad sign that I received a red card just for that, or that for instance, Robin Gosens got that yellow card. We won anyway, we need to stay on our toes because it’s a tough season this time. We’ve got to keep our eyes open. It’s not often you end a game with a 4-2 win over Napoli and leave the pitch as furious as some of my players were tonight.”
Atalanta is now fighting for the top four in Serie A, will face Juventus in the Coppa Italia Final and Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday. “We’ve always said that we wanted to go all the way in everything, we’re in the Coppa Italia Final, we’re up against Real Madrid in the Round of 16, it’s also a very tough Serie A campaign for everyone.” When asked if he will go more defensive against Real Madrid, he almost rejects that approach, giving the nod to the usual run and gun Atalanta. “It’s a tie played over two legs. We want to reach Madrid still in the running for qualification. We certainly won’t change our nature, but we must also take into account the characteristics of our opponents, their strengths, and the fact they don’t need many chances to win. Fundamentally, we must score goals against them, that’s the main thing.”
Atalanta's only confirmed absentee is right-wing back Hans Hateboer, and his deputy Joakim Maehle shrugged off previous fitness concerns to play 90 minutes against Napoli. Central defenders Cristian Romero and Berat Djimsiti have two bookings apiece, so Jose Luis Palomino is ready to be called upon if the hosting manager does not risk either player being banned for the second leg. La Dea has several midfield options and Gasperini has a big call to make who will play behind Zapata and Muriel, with Josip Ilicic closer to get a place in favor of Matteo Pessina.
Atalanta: Gollini; Toloi, Djimsiti, Palomino; Maehle, De Roon, Freuler, Gosens; Ilicic; Zapata, Muriel
It is not easy to find proper words for the Real season until this moment. They had many ups and downs, struggling both in La Liga or Champions League but apart from being knocked down from the Copa del Rey, they are still in both competitions and with huge ambitions to end the season on a high note and one big trophy. Momentum is against them as the injury report is more than bad, with several senior and key players out. Despite that, Real Madrid has won four in a row, with Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and Casemiro dragging them back into the title race in La Liga. They almost crashed out of the Champions League group stage in December and won just one of three away games but win against Gladbach put them through knockout stages with the German side that was better than Shakhtar Donetsk and Inter Milan.
The La Liga champions have managed to raise their chances in the title defense, keeping clean sheets in their last three outings - and their winning goal against Real Valladolid at the weekend came from an unlikely source - Casemiro, who ensured that Real would take of advantage of Atletico Madrid's defeat to Levante and narrow the gap at the top to three points. Zidane changed the shape of the team after several injuries, trying to win points relying on the defense, set-pieces, and work ethic rather than skill and offensive potential. It is unusual to see but effective after a rough start of the season. This could be a fine recipe for the match in Bergamo against a team that loves to create and attack even with the most quality rivals in Europe.
Real Madrid's medical staff are more than tired at the moment, working in full capacity, visitors have a huge injury crisis that got even worse as Karim Benzema is confirmed to miss the next match. The Frenchman joins the likes of Eden Hazard, Rodrygo, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Eder Militao, Daniel Carvajal, and Federico Valverde in the treatment room, while Casemiro is one yellow card away from a suspension. With only 12 recognized senior players in the squad for the trip to Italy, Zidane's starting lineup is on autopilot mode.
Real Madrid: Courtois; Vazquez, Varane, Nacho, Mendy; Casemiro, Kroos, Modric; Asensio, Diaz, Vinicius Jr
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With the second-most goals in Serie A (53) this season and a 2.5 per game at home, there is no doubt Atalanta has great firepower. On the other side, Real could use space and try to counter at every opportunity but Gasperini's team's unique style could be lethal for Madrid's defense. Our final Atalanta vs Real Madrid prediction is a home win.
3-4-1-2
4-3-3
Atalanta
Real Madrid
10.11.2024. | Atalanta | VS | Udinese | 2-1 |
W
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06.11.2024. | Stuttgart | VS | Atalanta | 0-2 |
W
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03.11.2024. | Napoli | VS | Atalanta | 0-3 |
W
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30.10.2024. | Atalanta | VS | Monza | 2-0 |
W
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26.10.2024. | Atalanta | VS | Verona | 6-1 |
W
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23.10.2024. | Atalanta | VS | Celtic | 0-0 |
D
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20.10.2024. | Venezia | VS | Atalanta | 0-2 |
W
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05.10.2024. | Atalanta | VS | Genoa | 5-1 |
W
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02.10.2024. | Shakhtar Donetsk | VS | Atalanta | 0-3 |
W
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28.09.2024. | Bologna | VS | Atalanta | 1-1 |
D
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10.11.2024. | Atalanta | VS | Udinese | 2-1 |
W
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30.10.2024. | Atalanta | VS | Monza | 2-0 |
W
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26.10.2024. | Atalanta | VS | Verona | 6-1 |
W
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23.10.2024. | Atalanta | VS | Celtic | 0-0 |
D
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05.10.2024. | Atalanta | VS | Genoa | 5-1 |
W
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24.09.2024. | Atalanta | VS | Como | 2-3 |
L
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19.09.2024. | Atalanta | VS | Arsenal | 0-0 |
D
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15.09.2024. | Atalanta | VS | Fiorentina | 3-2 |
W
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02.06.2024. | Atalanta | VS | Fiorentina | 2-3 |
L
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26.05.2024. | Atalanta | VS | Torino | 3-0 |
W
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06.11.2024. | Stuttgart | VS | Atalanta | 0-2 |
W
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03.11.2024. | Napoli | VS | Atalanta | 0-3 |
W
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20.10.2024. | Venezia | VS | Atalanta | 0-2 |
W
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02.10.2024. | Shakhtar Donetsk | VS | Atalanta | 0-3 |
W
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28.09.2024. | Bologna | VS | Atalanta | 1-1 |
D
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30.08.2024. | Inter | VS | Atalanta | 4-0 |
L
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25.08.2024. | Torino | VS | Atalanta | 2-1 |
L
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19.08.2024. | Lecce | VS | Atalanta | 0-4 |
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09.08.2024. | St. Pauli | VS | Atalanta | 3-0 |
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04.08.2024. | Parma | VS | Atalanta | 4-1 |
L
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09.11.2024. | Real Madrid | VS | Osasuna | 4-0 |
W
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05.11.2024. | Real Madrid | VS | Milan | 1-3 |
L
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26.10.2024. | Real Madrid | VS | Barcelona | 0-4 |
L
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22.10.2024. | Real Madrid | VS | Dortmund | 5-2 |
W
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19.10.2024. | Celta | VS | Real Madrid | 1-2 |
W
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05.10.2024. | Real Madrid | VS | Villarreal | 2-0 |
W
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02.10.2024. | Lille | VS | Real Madrid | 1-0 |
L
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29.09.2024. | Atletico Madrid | VS | Real Madrid | 1-1 |
D
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24.09.2024. | Real Madrid | VS | Alaves | 3-2 |
W
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21.09.2024. | Real Madrid | VS | Espanyol | 4-1 |
W
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09.11.2024. | Real Madrid | VS | Osasuna | 4-0 |
W
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05.11.2024. | Real Madrid | VS | Milan | 1-3 |
L
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26.10.2024. | Real Madrid | VS | Barcelona | 0-4 |
L
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22.10.2024. | Real Madrid | VS | Dortmund | 5-2 |
W
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05.10.2024. | Real Madrid | VS | Villarreal | 2-0 |
W
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24.09.2024. | Real Madrid | VS | Alaves | 3-2 |
W
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21.09.2024. | Real Madrid | VS | Espanyol | 4-1 |
W
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17.09.2024. | Real Madrid | VS | Stuttgart | 3-1 |
W
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01.09.2024. | Real Madrid | VS | Betis | 2-0 |
W
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25.08.2024. | Real Madrid | VS | Valladolid | 3-0 |
W
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19.10.2024. | Celta | VS | Real Madrid | 1-2 |
W
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02.10.2024. | Lille | VS | Real Madrid | 1-0 |
L
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29.09.2024. | Atletico Madrid | VS | Real Madrid | 1-1 |
D
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14.09.2024. | Real Sociedad | VS | Real Madrid | 0-2 |
W
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29.08.2024. | Las Palmas | VS | Real Madrid | 1-1 |
D
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18.08.2024. | Mallorca | VS | Real Madrid | 1-1 |
D
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01.08.2024. | Milan | VS | Real Madrid | 1-0 |
L
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01.06.2024. | Dortmund | VS | Real Madrid | 0-2 |
W
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19.05.2024. | Villarreal | VS | Real Madrid | 4-4 |
D
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11.05.2024. | Granada | VS | Real Madrid | 0-4 |
W
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Daniel Garcia is originally from Basque Country, and as a kid who grew up just a few streets from Mendizorrotza Stadium, the choice of Deportivo Alavés as his favourite club is more than obvious. Because of his studies, he moved to Madrid where he graduated in Sports Journalism. Daniel plays football on the weekends, but that does not stop him from watching all La Liga matches. He believes that the outcome of a match can be predicted if all the parameters are analyzed well, including form of the players and weather conditions. Currently he is living in Belgrade, and is in love with a Serbian girl who works as a journalist at one of the famous Sport Channels in Serbia.