Arsenal will face Atalanta in their first Champions League match of the 2024/25 season as they continue their quest for European glory. The Gunners go into the game with confidence after a 1-0 away victory against Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby, which moved them into second place in the Premier League. Last season, Arsenal reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League but were eliminated by Bayern Munich. This year, they aim to improve on that performance.
Atalanta, winners of last season’s Europa League, will provide a tough challenge for Arsenal. They have had a mixed start to this campaign, bouncing back from two consecutive defeats to secure a 3-2 win against Fiorentina over the weekend. However, they suffered a 2-0 loss to Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup earlier this season.
The match will take place at Bergamo’s Gewiss Stadium on Thursday 19 September with kick-off at 20:00 BST / 15:00 ET / 12:00 OT. The referee for the game will be Clement Turpin from France, with Jerome Brisard serving as VAR.
This will be the first competitive meeting between Atalanta and Arsenal. Both teams have key players missing due to injuries, including former West Ham United striker Gianluca Scamacca and highly-rated defender Giorgio Scalvini for Atalanta. On Arsenal’s side, Martin Odegaard is still sidelined along with Mikel Merino and Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Despite these absences, both teams have strong lineups ready for battle. Atalanta is predicted to field a lineup consisting of Carnesecchi; Djimsiti; Hien; Kolasinac; Bellanova; De Roon; Ederson; Ruggeri; De Ketelaere; Lookman; Retegui. Meanwhile, Arsenal is expected to start with Raya; White; Saliba; Gabriel Timber Rice Partey Havertz Saka Jesus Trossard.
Atalanta proved their worth in last season’s Europa League by defeating Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen on their way to lifting the trophy. However, their aggressive man-to-man system can leave them vulnerable at times if opponents are brave on the ball.
Arsenal boasts an impressive defense and possesses skilled players who excel under pressure like Serie A champions Inter Milan did when they defeated Atalanta convincingly earlier this season with four unanswered goals.
despite playing away from home against a formidable opponent like Atalanta who won last year’s Europa League title – Arsenal enters this match as significant favorites due to their strong defensive capabilities and technical prowess.
