Bayer Leverkusen vs Atalanta: A Belter of a Contest on the Cards

March 16, 2022

Akshay Nayak, Senior Author

Bayer Leverkusen will host Atalanta in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League round of 16 on March 17th, 2022, at 23:15 IST at the BayArena in Leverkusen. Although Bayer Leverkusen has a little advantage because they are playing at home, the odds are very even. After an exciting five goals thriller in the first leg, a similar feat is expected in the reverse fixture as well. Both the teams are coming on the back of poor performance in the league, which means that they are focusing more on this fixture.

Teams Status

Bayer Leverkusen

Last week, Bayer Leverkusen lost a five-goal thriller in Bergamo and is now down by one goal. They came out on top of a group that included Real Betis, Celtic, and Ferencvarosi. They had 13 points after winning four games, drawing one, and losing only one. They were only three points ahead of Real Betis at the end of the season. In the first seven games, they have scored 16 goals and surrendered eight. Moussa Diaby is the leading goal scorer for them in the Europa League with four goals to his name. While Robert Andrich and Florian Wirtz have netted three each.

Atalanta

Despite performing well in the Champions League, Atalanta finished third in a group that included Manchester United, Villarreal, and Young Boys. They only won one match, drew three, and lost two, earning only six points in the process. Then they won 5-1 on aggregate against Olympiacos in the Europa League playoffs. In nine European Cup matches, they have scored 20 goals and conceded 16 goals. The Ukrainian Ruslan Malinovsky is the leading goal for Atalanta in the European Cups with four goals under his belt. Alexey Miranchuk, Duvan Zapata, and Josip Ilicic will miss the second leg due to injuries.

What Do the Sportsbooks Say?

Bayer Leverkusen	Draw	Atalanta
2.30	3.8	2.816
2.384	3.94	2.916
2.32	3.80	2.82

According to the 22Bet sportsbook, Bayer Leverkusen is a 2.30 favorite to win, Atalanta is a 2.816 favorite to win, and the draw is at 3.8 odds. Bayer Leverkusen is the odds-on favorites to win the match, with odds of 2.384, Atalanta at 2.916, and the draw at 3.94, according to Melbet sportsbook. According to Sportsbet, Bayer Leverkusen is a 2.32 favorite, Atalanta is a 2.82 favorite, and the odds for the draw is available at 3.80.

Tipster’s Angle

Yet another thrilling contest is on the cards when these two teams go head to head in Leverkusen for the second leg. Similar to the first leg, this is also expected to be a high-scoring thriller with goals from both ends.

Tip: Both Teams To Score @ 1.47

In the first leg of this fixture, both teams managed to find the back of the net on a couple of occasions each. In the last ten matches that Leverkusen has played, they have scored in nine of those matches, while they have seen both teams scoring in eight of those ten matches. Atalanta on the other hand has netted in seven of their ten matches while seeing both teams scoring in five of those matches. In three of the last five home matches that Leverkusen has played, both teams have scored at least a goal. So, it is very likely that both teams will find the back of the net at 1.47 odds available at the Betway sportsbook.

Tip: Total Goals Over 3 @ 1.95

In eight of Leverkusen’s last ten matches in all competitions, the team has scored more than three goals. In six of Atalanta’s last ten matches in all competitions, more than three goals have been scored. In addition, four of Leverkusen’s last five home encounters have witnessed over three goals. A total of five goals were scored in the last head-to-head meeting. This may be a high-scoring match with players like Luis Muriel, Ruslon Milinaovskyi, and Moussa Diaby on the pitch. As a result, given Dafabet’s 1.95 odds, it’s quite possible that more than three goals will be scored.

Conclusion

Both the teams have played exceptional football so far and deserve to go forward but Atalanta has a goal advantage. But Leverkusen is in with a chance as there are no away goals rules in the European Cups anymore.

Akshay Nayak

18:09, 16 Mar 2022

Senior Author

Akshay Nayak

Senior Author

18:09, 16 Mar 2022

Hi Guys, I'm Akshay, a sports enthusiast and a passionate sports tipster. I always wanted to make some use of my passion for sports, so I started to write match previews on various sports ranging from Cricket, Soccer, Basketball, American Football and Tennis, to spread the little knowledge I have. I am just another free spirit whose life revolves around sports.