Atalanta vs Real Madrid

Gewiss Stadium sets the stage for an exciting UEFA Champions League encounter between Atalanta and Real Madrid. 

Atalanta’s rich vein of form continued last weekend as they left it late to beat AC Milan 2-1 on this ground, extending their scintillating winning streak in all competitions to nine matches. With eight of those triumphs seeing Gian Piero Gasperini’s side score 2+ goals, there’s hope around the Bergamo camp that ‘La Dea’ can defy a 100% lose ratio against Real Madrid in European football (L3). Furthermore, the Italians head into proceedings as one of only three Champions League teams yet to lose in the league phase this season (W3, D2), with both matches at the Gewiss Stadium against Arsenal and Celtic yielding a tepid 0-0 final score. However, Atalanta must approach this blockbuster with cautious optimism after losing two of their three historical home clashes against Spanish visitors. 

On the other hand, Real Madrid strolled to a commanding 3-0 La Liga win at Girona in the build-up to this trip, maintaining a topsy-turvy trend that has seen their last five competitive outings fluctuate between victories (3) and defeats (2). Worryingly for manager Carlo Ancelotti, ‘Los Merengues’ are staring down the barrel of a three-game losing run in the Champions League for the first time in club history after two-goal margin defeats to Milan and Liverpool. Indeed, the Spaniards have lost three of their five games in the league phase (W2), significantly derailing their chances of securing automatic knockout qualification. With both Madrid’s Champions League travels this season producing defeats ‘to nil,’ the picture looks bleak for the reigning holders.