The Daily Star Ireland
Young Boys Berne have had a difficult Champions League campaign, losing all four of their matches so far. They were defeated 2-1 by Shakhtar, narrowly lost 1-0 to Inter after a last-minute goal from Marcus Thuram, suffered a heavy 5-0 loss to FC Barcelona, and were beaten 3-0 at home by Aston Villa in the opening match.
Scoring just one goal in these four games has proven to be insufficient to secure victories in Europe’s top competition. Domestically, the Swiss champions, who have won the league twice in a row, are struggling and have dropped out of the top six, which qualifies for the championship’s final phase. They did manage to win 2-1 against Lugano before the international break, but last weekend, they faced a critical match against Luzern to stay competitive.
Atalanta Bergamo, who won the Europa Conference League last season but were defeated in the UEFA Super Cup final by Real Madrid, have shown strong form in the Champions League. They are just outside the top eight, sitting in 9th place with 8 points, and boast an impressive defensive record, having scored only five goals but conceded none. Recently, Atalanta won 2-0 against Stuttgart and played out a 0-0 draw with Celtic, a result that could prove costly later on.
Their opening match was a close draw against Arsenal (0-0), where they missed a penalty. They then dominated Shakhtar 3-0 in their third match. Atalanta’s solid form continues in Serie A, where they are in second place. They also remain unbeaten in their last ten matches across all competitions, with 8 wins and 2 draws.
Atalanta have faced several injury setbacks. Central defender Benito, injured during the Shakhtar match, has not played since and may miss this game. Mohamed Camara and long-term injuries to players like Conte, Chaiwa, Janko, Pfeiffer, and Banhie Zoukrou are also concerns.
On a positive note, Algerian international Hajdam returned to action just before the break. Swiss international Joel Monteiro and Congolese striker Ganvoula, both with four goals in the Swiss league, will be key players, as will Cedric Itten, who has scored three goals in the championship.
Atalanta also have the top scorer in Serie A, Retegui, who has netted 11 goals. Italian international Scamacca remains sidelined due to a cruciate ligament injury, but Retegui has proven to be a strong replacement.
In addition to these absences, Atalanta will also be without former Marseille player Sean Kolasinac, who was injured against Stuttgart, and Djimsiti, who was hurt in a recent league match. Scalvini and Belgian international Charles De Ketelaere are also doubts. However, key players such as Lookman, Zappacosta, Pasalic, De Roon, and Toloi will be available for the match.
Prediction
Young Boys have struggled to excite fans recently, with only three of their last 12 Champions League matches featuring goals at both ends. Atalanta, on the other hand, has kept clean sheets in ten of their last 12 away matches in this competition. It’s unlikely that both teams will score in this match.
Prediction: Young Boys 0 – 3 Atalanta.
