Atalanta vs. Sporting CP

March 6, 2024

Spooky Express previews Wednesday's Europa League round of 16 match between Sporting CP and Atalanta, including betting prediction, team news, and possible starting XIs.

Sporting CP take on Atalanta at the Estádio José Alvalade in the first leg of the Europa League last 16 on Wednesday night, 6 March.

Sporting CP already lost to Atalanta in the Europa League group phase, with Gian Piero Gasperini's side picking four points from an available six, but La Dea are far less confident heading into the double-header.

It was Atalanta who won 2-1 when both sides collided at the Estádio José Alvalade in October, while the second match in Bergamo ended in a 1-1 draw in November.

All in all, the Portuguese side have won just five of their previous 33 meetings with Italian clubs.

Sporting CP Betting Preview (+110 at Everygame)

Rúben Amorim's side finished fourth in the Primeira Liga last season and the Green and Whites are now in pole position to win the title. They are currently top of the Primeira Liga table, one point above arch rivals Benfica in second and with a game in hand.

Sporting CP will welcome their Serie A opponents after an eventful week that saw them achieving a 3-2 home win over SC Farense in Primeira Liga on Sunday evening, while they also beat Benfica 2-1 in the first leg of the Portuguese Cup semi-finals.

The Lions already resumed their Europa League campaign last month when they beat Swiss champions Young Boys in the knockout-round play-offs. Ruben Amorim's side won the first leg in Switzerland 3-1 before a 1-1 draw in Lisbon in the second leg.

Sporting CP are unbeaten since a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Braga in the Taca da Liga semi-finals in January, but they are still playing on multiple fronts.

Viktor Gyokeres should represent the biggest threat for the Italian backline as the Swedish striker boasts 32 goals and 11 assists in 35 games across all competitions this term.

With five goals in seven Europa League appearances, the 25-year-old forward will be keen to inspire his side's European success on Wednesday night.

Experienced Spanish goalkeeper Antonio Adan (thigh) and key defender Goncalo Inacio (muscle) are not expected to play from the off on Wednesday, even if they make the matchday squad. Inácio is yet to feature since the influential defender was subbed off at the break of Sporting CP's 3-3 draw at Rio Ave 10 days ago and is a doubt for

With 15 goals and 14 assists to his name this season, playmaker Pedro Goncalves is another standout performer for the Lions and his performance will be of crucial importance. However, "Pote" is also a major doubt for the Portuguese side and Francisco Trincao should start in Sporting's front three if Goncalves is not fully fit.

Atalanta Betting Preview (+225 at Everygame)

Gian Piero Gasperini's side travel to Portugal after a disappointing 2-1 home defeat to fellow top-four hopefuls Bologna in the Serie A on Sunday night.

La Dea have now suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time this season. They were hammered 4-0 by Serie A leaders Inter Milan last week and followed that up with the aforementioned loss to Bologna at the Gewiss Stadium - what also was La Dea's first loss in Bergamo since November 2023.

Atalanta already endured a four-game winless run in Serie A between November and early-December (losing three of the matches) but they bounced back to win eight of the following 10 top-flight games until the 1-1 draw at AC Milan last month.

La Dea now sit sixth in Serie A, five points behind Bologna in fourth place. They will seek a response to their three-game winless domestic run, keen to secure another valuable victory over the Portuguese side and extend their unbeaten run against the same opponents to three games.

Gian Piero Gasperini will hope to take his team to taste some European glory and progressing in the competition could be vital for them, and for Italian football in general (considering the extra Champions League spots), this year.

There is practically a full squad at the disposal of Gian Piero Gasperini in Lisbon. However, the Atalanta boss could be tempted to rotate his starting XI as La Dea will also travel to face Juventus in Serie A on Sunday and he will have to balance the squad.

Ademola Lookman was back among the goals for Atalanta against Bologna last weekend, since the Nigerian attacker returned from Africa Cup of Nations duty, and Gasperini hopes to see him firing after opening his account for 2024.

Possible Starting Lineups of Sporting CP and Atalanta

Sporting CP: Franco Israel - Ousmane Diomande, Sebastián Coates, Matheus Reis - Ricardo Esgaio, Daniel Braganca, Morten Hjulmand, Nuno Santos - Marcus Edwards, Viktor Gyokeres, Pedro Goncalves. (3-4-3)

Atalanta: Juan Musso - Giorgio Scalvini, Berat Djimsiti, Sead Kolasinac - Emil Holm, Ederson, Marten de Roon, Matteo Ruggeri - Aleksey Miranchuk - Charles De Ketelaere, Ademola Lookman. (3-4-1-2)

Spooky Express Betting Prediction

Their recent exploits won’t offer much additional confidence after back-to-back defeats heading into this clash. Before that, Atalanta had gone unbeaten in ten games (winning 8), and it's that form they’ll need to reclaim if they are to overcome Sporting CP in the Europa League.

While the Bergamo outfit seldom lose in this competition, Sporting CP look in superior form at the moment, and these circumstances make the game even more unpredictable.

Having lost just two of their 20 Europa League matches, Atalanta shouldn't be written off but Sporting CP's momentum is what makes them favorites for Wednesday.

All in all, Sporting CP are unbeaten in 15 home matches (winning 14 of them) across all competitions - since their 2-1 defeat to Atalanta on 5 October - that also remains their only home loss for the past twelve months.

Atalanta, on the other hand, have failed to win four of their last six away games in all competitions (2-2-2) and might find it difficult to claim another win on their second trip to the Portuguese capital this season.

Viktor Gyokeres had scored in all but one of Sporting CP's last nine matches in all competitions (including in the last four). The Swedish forward also scored against Atalanta in October and we're backing him to extend his fine form on Wednesday night.

Spooky Express Free Play: Outcome and Totals - 1X And Over 2.5 Goals +145 at Everygame for 5/10 Units

Spooky Express Free Play 2: Viktor Gyokeres - Anytime Goalscorer +145 at Everygame for 5/10 Units

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