Atalanta vs. Bayer Leverkusen — High-flying Bayer Looking To Pile More Misery on Atalanta

March 9, 2022

Benson Chikezie, Senior Author

After their disappointing loss at Roma over the weekend, Atalanta will welcome Bayer Leverkusen to the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo for the first leg of their Europa League Round of 16 clash. The match is scheduled for 01:30 IST on the 11th of March, 2022.

Atalanta are coming into this game with mixed fortunes on every side, while Bayer Leverkusen are flying and even earned themselves a valuable point against Bayern Munich during the weekend. Atalanta have never lost a home game in the Europa League, while Bayer Leverkusen have a poor away record against Italian opposition. This fixture between two exciting teams is one to look forward to, undoubtedly.

Teams Status

Here is the latest on the form and team news of both sides before their Round of 16 UEL clash:

Atalanta Form and Team News

The Italian side have hardly been consistent all season and are suffering from a drop in form presently. They have won only thrice in their last 10 matches in all competitions, losing 4 and drawing 3. Their form was equally poor in the Champions League, earning just 1 win and all but certainly cementing their exit before the final day.

They have some positives to look at presently, winning both legs against Olympiacos 5-1 on aggregate in the Europa League. Duvan Zapata has been their star man in Europe, with four goal contributions (2 goals and 2 assists).

For their team news, Atalanta will be without star man Duvan Zapata who is sidelined with a muscle injury. Josip Ilicic and Bryan Cabezas are doubtful for the fixture after picking up an injury and an illness, respectively.

Bayer Leverkusen Form and Team News

Bayer Leverkusen are one of Europe’s most exciting teams this season and can genuinely hurt any top side, as they proved in the draw at Bayern over the weekend. They are in a rich vein of form presently, with 3 draws, 5 wins, and 2 losses in their last 10 games, with the wins coming more recently.

In Europe, they finished the group stages strongly with 4 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, scoring 14 goals and conceding 5— thus winning their group. Midfielders Florian Wirtz and Moussa Diaby have been their most productive outlets going forward with 6 goal contributions (3 goals, 3 assists) and 5 goal contributions (3 goals, 2 assists), respectively.

For injuries, suspensions, and player availability, Bayer Leverkusen will be without Karim Bellarabi, Kerem Demirbay, Andrey Lunev, and Patrick Schick, who are out injured. Also, midfielder Robert Andrich remains a doubt to be part of the trip to Bergamo.

What Do the Sportsbooks Say?

Atalanta	Draw	Bayer Leverkusen
2.072	3.68	3.8
2.00	3.60	3.70
2.072	3.68	3.8

The sportsbooks tend to name the home team as favorites when two seemingly equal teams meet. Such is the case here as Atalanta are favorites to win the first leg of their Europa League encounter on paper. The sportsbook at Paripesa places Atalanta to win at 2.072 odds, a win for the away side is placed at 3.8 odds, and 3.68 odds for a full-time draw.

On Sportsbet.io, the odds for Atalanta to emerge victoriously are placed at 2.00, Leverkusen to win is at 3.70, while a draw is placed at 3.60 odds. The Melbet sportsbook places all three results at 2.072, 3.68, and 3.8 odds.

Tipster’s Angle

Both sides meet each other for the first time and have a host of attacking talents available to them. Atalanta have averaged over 3 goals in all 20 competitive home games this season, so a multi-goal result is most likely on the cards. The Germans have had little success against Italian sides in Europe, so there is a bit of history against them, although this current crop of players are good enough to break the jinx this time around. Here are our tips for this fixture:

Tip: Goal in Both Halves @ 1.61

Both sides will be looking to gain an advantage going into the second leg early on. Due to the attacking ability of both teams, we expect at least one goal in both halves from either team. An early goal can be crucial to determining the final result, and both teams are not strangers to scoring late goals or coming from behind to win. Goal in both halves is available on the Paripesa sportsbook at 1.61 odds.

Tip: Over 1.5 Goals @ 1.22

In the last 5 home games for Atalanta and the last 5 away games for Bayer Leverkusen, multiple goal results have occurred in all the matches. Teams like Bayer and Atalanta defend by attacking, so we expect chances to be in tall supply on both ends. Over 1.5 goals is available on the Parimatch sportsbook at 1.22 odds.

Conclusion

Atalanta will meet Bayer Leverkusen for the first time in both their histories and this promises to be an exciting game all around. Both sides are known for their attacking prowess, so we expect a lively encounter from start to finish.

Benson Chikezie

17:08, 9 Mar 2022

Senior Author

Benson Chikezie

Senior Author

17:08, 9 Mar 2022

Benson Chikezie is a Nigerian-based writer with many years of experience in the sports betting industry. He is a digital marketer by profession. Benson has written many sports related contents for various websites.