New Delhi: Arsenal will return to the UEFA Champions League to meet Atlanta BC in Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo. In the previous edition, the Gunners reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in 14 years in what was their comeback season. On the other hand, La Dea championed the Europa League, lifting the title after toppling the unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen.
Atlanta completed its home stadium renovation last month and will be happy to host its opening Champions League match in Bergamo. Having won their first Europa League last season, Nerazzurri returned to UEFA’s top club competition as the only team to beat Bayer Leverkusen.
It was a big boost to their overall season, having just lost their Coppa Italia title only a few days ago. Ademola Lookman rose to the occasion and scored a brilliant hat trick to secure them their first European trophy. It was indeed Gian Piero Gaperini’s finest moment, having finally lifted a title after years of perseverance with the side. This will be their fourth appearance in the competition, having previously featured in three back-to-back editions between 2019 and 2022.
They played six Premier League sides and have won only once in six matches. The Serie A side finished fourth in Italy last season and have only one win on home soil from their last seven Champions League games. Their recent form is a bit of a worry. After some tough transfer market periods, they started the season with a 2-0 loss to Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup and lost two of their three league matches. Their win over Fiorentina wasn’t convincing either, having scored twice from behind before sealing their fate in the extra time of the first half.
Last season, Arsenal came back to the Champions League after six seasons and finished first in Group B, winning four games out of six. Though they lost the quarter-finals to Bayern Munich, the side has become much more consistent under Mikel Arteta. They have finished second in the Premier League for consecutive times.
They will hope to keep their dominance in the Europeans, having remained unbeaten in their first four matches of the Premier League. The Gunners have only conceded once, and their win over Tottenham Hotspur was the 23rd time since the beginning of the last season that they scored from a set piece.
They will face Manchester City in the Premier League right after their midweek clash. They have won six consecutive Premier League games against City, with the streak going back to 2020.
Team News
Atlanta will also miss key players Gianluca Scamacca and Giorgio Scalvini due to injuries. Their defensive duo, Rafael Toloi and Ben Godfrey, also missed the win over Fiorentina. However, they will be replaced by Sead Kolasinac and Berat Djimsiti, who are both returning from injuries.
Nicolo Zaniolo, too, has returned to the Atlanta bench after a prolonged absence. Ademola Lookman will likely start with striker Mateo Retegui, though Lookman has never found the net in his four appearances against Arsenal.
Arsenal will be happy to have one of their most important player in the midfield, Declan Rice, back after being suspended on Sunday. However, Arteta will have to deal with his team’s other injury concerns first. Primarily, Gunner’s captain Martin Odegaard is going to be on a prolonged sidelines due to an ankle injury, though summer recruit Riccardo Calafiori is fit to play in the game in his place.
Another summer signing, Mikel Merino, hasn’t played since injuring his shoulders in his first training season. They also had to withdraw Bukayo Saka from Arsenal’s match against Tottenham due to an on-field injury. Kieran Tierney, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Oleksandr Zinchenko are all recovering from injuries, but Gabriel Jesus came as a late substitute and has overcome his thigh problems.
Predicted lineups
Atalanta BC: Carnesecchi; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac; Bellanova, Ederson, De Roon, Ruggeri; De Ketelaere, Lookman; Retegui
Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Partey, Rice; Saka, Trossard, Sterling; Havertz
When, where, and how to watch the Atlanta vs Arsenal match in India?
The Atlanta vs Arsenal UEFA Champions League 2024/25 match will be telecast live on Sony Sports Network in India. Fans can tune into the Sony Sports Ten 5 at 12:30 am to catch the action. Live streaming of the Champions League 2024/25 will be available on the SonyLIV app and website.
Early Predictions
Arsenal are in good form and are looking dangerous this season as well. Given that Atlanta’s record isn’t in their support nor is their current form, they might lose their home game 0-2.
Two sides who have made remarkable progress in the recent times take on each other as Arsenal travel to Bergamo to face previous season’s Europa League winners Atlanta. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
