On Tuesday night, Atalanta host Club Brugge in a fixture laced with revenge. The Bergamo side were humbled by the Belgians in last season’s Champions League play-off tie, and Atalanta will be desperate to put that painful memory behind them while also getting their first points on the board.
Atalanta
Ahead of those games last year, Atalanta looked in fine shape, pushing Napoli and Inter Milan at the top of Serie A. But the tie turned into a nightmare. A narrow 2:1 defeat in Belgium was followed by a disastrous 1:3 home loss, in which Atalanta conceded inside three minutes and never recovered. This time around, their group stage campaign began with a bruising 0:4 loss away to Paris Saint-Germain. While it may be too soon for sweeping judgements, their defence looked wide open in Paris, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes and others running riot.
Club Brugge
Club Brugge, meanwhile, arrive in high spirits. After thrashing AS Monaco (4:1) in the Belgian Pro League, they’ve kept up their attacking form. Back-to-back routine wins were followed by a wild 5:5 draw against Westerlo, a game in which the team twice came from behind, even leading 5:4 before conceding deep into stoppage time. Their ability to create and convert chances is unquestionable, but the defensive lapses remain a glaring issue.
Atalanta vs Club Brugge Prediction
Both sides boast plenty of attacking threat but look shaky at the back, making goals the most likely theme. With history between these two clubs and their current defensive frailties, it would be no surprise if the net bulges multiple times again.
