Atalanta mark their return to the UEFA Champions League with a home game against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, with a win imperative for both sides.
Atlanta and Arsenal will kick off their campaigns in the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League, which has a changed format from this season. It does bring about more of a competitive nature to this competition.
For instance, the top eight teams in a huge table comprising 36 teams will attain automatic qualification for the knockout rounds. In comparison, the following 16 teams will have to go through a playoff round, meaning those sides will have to add two more games to their calendar.
This is something that top teams would want to avoid, with Atalanta and Arsenal among those. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side is returning to the Champions League following two seasons out of the competition, and they are here courtesy of winning the Europa League last time out.
Atalanta began their season with a 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup and followed that up with a 4-0 victory over Lecce on Serie A’s opening weekend. Gasperini’s men have since suffered back-to-back league defeats to Torino and Inter Milan while responding with a 3-2 triumph over Fiorentina last weekend. They are certainly in a mixed-bag form ahead of welcoming Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta tactically outclassed Ange Postecoglou on Sunday as Arsenal secured a narrow win over bitter rivals Tottenham away from home. The victory was also a third successive away win over Spurs, as the Spaniard became the first Arsenal boss after George Graham to achieve the feat and the first for the club in the Premier League era.
That win was significant in the context of how this week shapes up. There were fears that a loss in the North London would add to the pressure on Arsenal of losing momentum ahead of the clashes with Atalanta and then Manchester City on Sunday. However, a win away at Tottenham without star midfielders Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard has given them the momentum to take the challenges ahead head-on.
The new format of the UEFA Champions League will keep the pressure on Arsenal as Arteta will want to target a top-eight place, starting with a win over Atalanta. With eight games to play in this ‘league phase’, the Gunners boss will want nothing other than a win when they travel to Atalanta, although Arsenal’s away league form in the competition does leave a lot to be desired.
Team News & Tactics
Atalanta
Atalanta are already without long-term absentees Gianluca Scamacca and Giorgio Scalvini, as the duo will miss many months of action, which will have come as a blow to Gian Piero Gasperini’s plans for the season. Ahead of their Champions League opener against Arsenal, La Dea are also without defensive duo Rafael Toloi and Ben Godfrey, who missed the win over Fiorentina at the weekend.
Former Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac was declared fit, while Berat Djimsiti is also available for selection after recovering for Atalanta from a back problem. Nicolo Zaniolo, who was on the bench at the weekend, could be an option for Gasperini.
The returning Djimsiti and Kolasinac will form the back three alongside Isak Hein, while Raoul Bellanova and Matteo Ruggeri will play in the wing-back roles for Atalanta. Mario Pasalic and Ederson are the preferred midfield pairing for Gasperini.
Ademola Lookman and Charles De Ketelaere will play in the advanced role behind the striker. In the prolonged absence of Scamacca, Mateo Retegui will continue to lead the line for Atalanta against Arsenal as he will hope to trouble the formidable Arsenal backline.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Carnesecchi; Djimsiti, Hein, Kolasinac; Bellanova, Pasalic, Ederson, Riggeri; Lookman, De Ketelaere; Retegui
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta will be without captain Martin Odegaard for this clash as the Norwegian continues to recover from the ankle injury sustained during the international break. Takehiro Tomiyasu, Mikel Merino, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Kieran Tierney are also out of contention with different injuries.
Arsenal will welcome Declan Rice back into the squad after the midfielder served his suspension for the away trip to Tottenham, as he is expected to slot straight into the midfield. Riccardo Calafiori, who missed the North London Derby, was back in training ahead of the Atalanta clash and could be in contention, especially if Arteta decides to manage Jurrien Timber’s minutes after a complete game against Spurs.
The big scare was the late withdrawal of Bukayo Saka on Sunday. However, it was later confirmed it was only cramped, and the winger was seen in full training pictures ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League opener. The return of Gabriel Jesus also provides a different option for Arteta to ponder when selecting his team and setup.
Hence, there is a far greater chance of Kai Havertz dropping into the midfield to replace one of Jorginho or Thomas Partey. Jesus could thus lead the line against Atalanta in place of the German, with Arteta set to give Raheem Sterling his first start in an Arsenal shirt.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Raya; Ben White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Rice, Partey, Havertz; Saka, Jesus, Sterling
Key Stats
- Atalanta have only one win in their last seven UEFA Champions League games at home.
- Atalanta have only one victory in six matches against Premier League opposition, which was the 3-0 win over Liverpool last season.
- Arsenal have failed to win their last three Champions League away games, losing the previous 2.
- Stretching from last season, Arsenal have won their last six away Premier League games, including on Sunday against Tottenham.
- Bukayo Saka was involved in eight goals in nine UEFA Champions League appearances for Arsenal in 2023/24 (4 goals, 4 assists), the most by an Englishman in their debut season, breaking the record set by Lee Bowyer for Leeds United in 2000/01 (6 goals, 1 assist).
Player to Watch
Declan Rice
In a significant boost for Arsenal, Declan Rice returns to action after serving an untimely suspension on Sunday, although his teammates coped without him to collect three points at Tottenham. His availability for the trip to Atalanta is big news for Arteta as he can have better tactical balance and selection choices.
Rice did finish the international break in good form, and it was a shame to miss him for the north London derby. However, with the midfielder back in contention, Arsenal can go into two crucial clashes against Atalanta and Manchester City in the next few days.
Prediction
Atalanta 1-2 Arsenal
Atalanta have a poor record against Premier League sides in the UEFA Champions League but did record good performances in the double-header against Liverpool the last time they played English opposition. While their start of the season does not inspire confidence, they still have the quality to trouble the Gunners.
Mikel Arteta will be wary of Arsenal’s dismal away form in a recent Champions League game. Still, with the pressures of finishing in the top eight of this season’s competition, he will look for a big win in the opening game. The Gunners also have an excellent attacking unit, who can provide the spark in a big away win in Bergamo, as on paper, they are the favourites here.
