Will Leverkusen benefit from Atalanta’s lack of form?
Playing spirit, offensive power and unconditional courage to take risks. All this comes to mind when you read the names Atalanta Bergamo and Leverkusen. Many experts are therefore predicting that the greatest attacking spectacle will take place at the Gewiss Stadium in Lombardy, a good 50 kilometres north-east of Milan, on Thursday evening as part of the Europa League round of 16 first legs.
The truth is, however, that the home side have not been in good form of late, have lost touch with the top of the Italian Serie A and have also lost their attacking punch. It is therefore possible that the Werkself will catch their Champions League-tested opponents at exactly the right moment. From the Bundesliga team’s point of view, the task is by no means insurmountable.
The bookmakers, however, are offering lower odds on a home win between Atalanta Bergamo and Leverkusen. After all, coach Gasperini’s team left a lasting impression in the two victories against Olympiakos Piraeus in the intermediate round. The question therefore arises as to which face the former club of national player Robin Gosens will show on Thursday evening.
Atalanta Bergamo – Statistics & current form
Atalanta Bergamo have built an excellent reputation on the European football stage in recent years. They made it to the knockout rounds in each of their first two Champions League appearances in 2019/20 and a year later. On the club’s debut in the top flight, they even made it to the quarter-finals.
In the current season, however, coach Gasperini’s team has not been able to build on these successes on the international stage. In what should have been a feasible group with Manchester United, Villarreal and Young Boys from Bern, the Italians only came third and will have to settle for the Europa League from now on. But at least they were able to acclimatise well and defeated Olympiakos Piraeus in the round of 16 in the first and second legs.
Atalanta fight against the downward trend
The lack of success in Europe is also reflected in the domestic Serie A. At the moment, the Bergamo side is doing well enough. At the moment, the Bergamo side is only in fifth place. They are six points behind the places that entitle them to return to the top flight.
The drop in the rankings is due to poor performances in recent weeks. In a review of the past seven league games, only one victory was recorded. The dress rehearsal at Roma at the weekend was lost 0:1. Once again, it was the highly praised offensive that fell short of expectations. In the last ten games, “La Dea” only managed to score more than one goal twice. There is therefore a lack of weighty arguments to identify an appealing value between Atalanta Bergamo and Leverkusen in the lower odds on the home win.
One positive factor worth mentioning, however, is the fact that the blue and black team has never lost a home match in the European Cup. In ten games, they have won six and drawn four. If you want to bet on an away win in the Atalanta Bergamo vs Leverkusen clash, you can do so at Bet365. A 3.80 is offered at the top.
Predicted line-up of Atalanta Bergamo:
Musso; Toloi, Demiral, Djimsiti; Hateboer, De Roon, Freuler, Maehle; Pasalic, Koopmeiners; Boga
Last matches played by Atalanta Bergamo:
Serie A
03/05 2022 – AS Roma 1 – 0 Atalanta Bergamo
02/28 2022 – Atalanta Bergamo 4 – 0 Sampdoria Genoa
Europa League Final Stage
02/24 2022 – Olympiakos Piraeus 0 – 3 Atalanta Bergamo
Serie A
02/20 2022 – AC Florence 1 – 0 Atalanta Bergamo
Europa League Final Stage
02/17 2022 – Atalanta Bergamo 2 – 1 Olympiakos Piraeus
Leverkusen – Statistics & current form
Bayer Leverkusen definitely cannot complain about the lack of attractiveness of their opponents this week. While the Werkself already achieved a respectable 1-1 draw with FC Bayern last Saturday, the eagerly awaited Europa League round of 16 tie now awaits on Thursday evening. However, there will not be much time to breathe afterwards, as the Rhineland derby against 1. FC Köln is already on the agenda for next Sunday.
The fact that coach Gerardo Seoane’s team takes the international competition particularly seriously was already clear in the group phase. With 13 out of a possible 18 points, Bayer secured first place and thus a direct ticket to the round of the last 16.
Leverkusen with impressive performances in the preliminary round
Apart from that, their only defeat came in a 1-0 loss to underdogs Ferencvaros on the final day of the tournament, when they had already secured their place in the group. What Leverkusen are capable of is proven by their magnificent 4:0 victories against Betis or in the cauldron of Celtic Glasgow. If you take these performances as a yardstick, you are certainly not far away from making a prediction on the in-form Bundesliga team between Atalanta Bergamo and Leverkusen.
However, to add a few concerns to our holistic analysis, then these relate primarily to history. Of the last ten away games at Italian clubs, the Rhinelanders have won only one. That victory, meanwhile, dates back to 1999, and they have also lost all three of their most recent matches in the knockout phase of the Europa League. So it’s a matter of breaking two bans at the same time in order to establish a good starting position.
Once again, top scorer Patrik Schick will not be able to play, as he is still condemned to miss the match due to injury. He will be joined on Thursday by the suspended Kerem Demirbay. For Karim Bellarabi, the trip to Bergamo comes too soon. Robert Andrich is also in danger of dropping out. New winter signing Sardar Azmoun made his debut at the weekend and is now another attacking alternative.
Predicted Leverkusen line-up:
Hradecky; Frimpong, Tah, Tapsoba, Bakker; Aranguiz, Andrich, Palacios; Diaby, Alario, Wirtz
Last matches played by Leverkusen:
1st Bundesliga
03/05 2022 – Bayern Munich 1 – 1 Bayer Leverkusen
02/26 2022 – Bayer Leverkusen 3 – 0 Arminia Bielefeld
02/18 2022 – Mainz 05 3 – 2 Bayer Leverkusen
02/12 2022 – Bayer Leverkusen 4 – 2 VfB Stuttgart
02/06 2022 – Borussia Dortmund 2 – 5 Bayer Leverkusen
Atalanta Bergamo – Leverkusen Direct comparison / H2H-balance
The two clubs have never met in an official match. We have already discussed Leverkusen’s away phobia in Italy. For Bergamo, however, this is the seventh match against a German opponent. The only victory, however, came in a friendly against Dortmund. At the competition level, “La Dea” are still waiting for their first full success against a Bundesliga team.
Atalanta Bergamo – Leverkusen Tip
Full of anticipation, we look ahead to Thursday evening’s Europa League round of 16 first leg of one of three remaining teams from the German top flight. While Frankfurt’s Eintracht were already challenged on Wednesday night and RB Leipzig, as we know, have a bye, the Werkself follow suit in Italy.
Prior to the first leg between Atalanta Bergamo and Leverkusen, the odds tend to favour the home side, which can be explained by the fact that the blue-and-blacks have not lost a single match at home in the past three seasons. Leverkusen’s record in Italy does not read particularly exhilarating either.
In our eyes, however, it makes more sense to compare the teams’ recent form curves. Bayer is playing a very successful 2022 so far with many (offensive) swings upwards. The Bergamo side, on the other hand, has had to concede some points in Serie A recently. Especially in the forward play, there is not really much going on together.
