Overview
Teams from Italy and Germany will clash on Thursday when Atalanta hosts Bayer Leverkusen. This is the first leg of the Europa League Round of 16, with the second leg to be played back in Germany next Thursday. Atalanta is coming into the match as a betting odds favorite.
Leverkusen reached the Round of 16 after winning its group, while Atalanta had to win a playoff with Olympiacos after getting bounced out of the Champions League. But the Black and Blues had no problem with Olympiacos, beating the Greek side 5-1 over two legs.
Last Game Records
Atalanta is coming off a 1-0 road loss against Roma over the weekend in Serie A action. Meanwhile, Leverkusen is riding high after a 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich last weekend.
Matchup Information
- 3:00 pm EST on Thursday, March 10, 2022
- Bergamo, Italy
- Gewiss Stadium
Atalanta vs Bayer Leverkusen Betting Analysis
Atalanta Betting Analysis
After getting knocked out of the Champions League after the Group Stage, Atalanta is in a fight to get into next season’s Champions League. They currently find themselves fifth in Serie A, six points behind Juventus for the last Champions League spot, albeit with a game in hand. However, if Atalanta wins the Europa League, they can gain entry into Champions League that way.
Of course, Atalanta will have to turn things around if they hope to succeed in either competition moving forward. Over the last two months, Atalanta has just three wins in 10 matches. Ironically, they have four clean sheets and have allowed just nine total goals over those ten matches, but the results haven’t been there.
Atalanta’s attack went cold in late January and early February and only recently perked up. As mentioned, the Italian side scored five goals over two matches against Olympiacos, on top of scoring four goals in a recent win over Sampdoria. However, Atalanta was shut out against Roma last weekend, which is the second time in their last four matches that they’ve failed to score.
Bayer Leverkusen Betting Analysis
Domestically, Leverkusen sits third in the Bundesliga, putting them in good shape. However, just four points separate them from the sixth-place team, so there is stiff competition for the last two Champions League positions. On the bright side, Leverkusen has won five of its last seven matches inside the Bundesliga before returning to European play on Thursday.
Striker Patrik Schick has helped lead the way for Leverkusen, going 20 goals in 20 Bundesliga matches before being sidelined with an injury last month. Moussa Diaby has also contributed 12 goals, helping Leverkusen score the second-most goals in Germany this season. That includes 22 goals over the team’s last seven matches.
Of course, stopping other teams from scoring has proven difficult for the German side. They rank 13th in the Bundesliga in goals allowed, allowing 40 goals in 25 league matches despite only conceding five goals in six matches during the Europa League Group Stage. Even with their success over the last seven matches, Leverkusen has allowed 12 goals during that stretch.
Team Updates
For the last month, Atalanta has been without striker Duvan Zapata, who is tied for the team lead with nine goals. Reserve striker Josip Ilicic also remains sidelined with an injury. Meanwhile, Schick and winger Karim Bellarabi remain unavailable for Bayer Leverkusen.
- Atalanta has allowed one goal or less in nine of its last 11 matches.
- Bayer Leverkusen has scored at least two goals in nine of its last 11 matches.
- Atalanta has scored one goal or less in six of its last ten matches.
- Bayer Leverkusen has allowed at least two goals in seven of its last 11 matches.
Atlanta vs Bayer Leverkusen Betting Preview
Needless to say, this will be a showdown between a potent offensive team and a strong defensive side. Even with Schick unavailable, Leverkusen has been able to put the ball in the back of the net, helping to make up for a lackluster backline.
On the other side, Atalanta remains tough defensively but has struggled to score goals against quality opponents.
Atalanta vs Bayer Leverkusen Betting Prediction
Something will have to give in this game between Atalanta’s defense and the Leverkusen attack. The latest Europa League betting odds have Atalanta favored at home with a moneyline of -105 compared to Leverkusen at +260 with a draw also listed at +260.
Betting guides might find value in Leverkusen, even as a road underdog. But without their top striker, it will be tough to score away from home against a team like Atalanta. Meanwhile, the Italian side could be in good shape to score against a porous Leverkusen defense.
If you are looking to make some Europa League picks, bet on Atalanta to find its way to a narrow victory in this game, most likely either 1-0 or 2-1.
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