Atalanta vs Manchester City - Champions League Group Stage Preview and Odds

Published on: 06/11/2019

Atalanta vs Manchester City - Champions League Group Stage Preview and Odds

November 06, 2019 20:00pm - Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (San Siro, Milano)

Champions League: Group Stage

Atalanta`s first foray into Champions League football has been a real baptism of fire. The team from Bergamo have yet to earn a point from the three matches they have played and look certain to finish bottom of Group C. So does that mean they should be written off in this clash against reigning Premier League champions Manchester City?

Despite their lack of points, the Italian side have not played badly. They dominated much of the 1-2 home defeat against Shakhtar Donetsk, which was played at the San Siro due their own ground undergoing refurbishments, and held their own for long periods in the 5-1 defeat to Manchester City. There was enough in the first half of that match to suggest that they could make life difficult for City in this return fixture, which will also be staged in their temporary Milan home.

The team will be using this run in the competition to gain vital experience while trying to establish themselves as top-four regulars in Serie A. However, they have shown some inconsistency in recent weeks, beating Udinese 7-1 at home in the league and holding Napoli to a 2-2 draw away before losing 0-2 at home to Cagliari in a rain-soaked encounter last weekend. They remain top scorers in the Italian top flight and will be hoping to finally make their mark on this competition on Wednesday.

Manchester City have maximum points and look certain to top the group. A win here would see them qualify for the Last 16 with two games to spare and allow them to concentrate on chasing down Liverpool in the Premier League. The two English sides will clash on Sunday so Pep Guardiola will have one eye on that match already.

Recent form (all competitions)

Atalanta: LDWLD

Manchester City: WWWWW

Betting odds and tips

No one will give Atalanta much hope here but anyone who has watched them this season will know they are capable of great things on their day despite their meagre resources.

If the hosts get their game going early on, they could throw a spanner in City`s qualification plans and the Draw looks reasonable value for a small stake at 4/1.

You can back the Draw at 4/1.

By Neil Morris