Champions League: Stuttering Marseille and Atalanta Clash at the Orange Velodrome

Marseille vs Atalanta

Two teams struggling to find form are set to clash, as Marseille host Atalanta at the Orange Velodrome on Wednesday evening. Only one point separates these two sides in the Champions League standings, as Atalanta are 17th with four points, and Marseille are right behind them at 18th with three points.

Since their hot streak last September, which includes an unlikely 1-0 win against PSG, Roberto de Zerbi’s side have had a mixed bag of results. Marseille lost 2-1 to Sporting in their previous Champions League game, then lost to Lens (2-1), drew against Angers (2-2), and eventually won against Auxerre (1-0). Well, at least they’re still second in the Ligue 1 standings, within arm’s reach of PSG.

Meanwhile, Atalanta are 11th in the Serie A table, and Ivan Juric’s men haven’t won in their last six across all competitions, though five of them were draws.

Learn more about these two sides in today’s SBOTOP preview.

 

Talking Points

Marseille have a discipline problem

Marseille dropped their last Champions League match against Sporting after squandering their early lead. Igor Paixao scored the first goal in the 14th minute, but they conceded two second-half goals from Geny Catamo and Alisson Santos. To make things worse, they were playing with only 10 men, as Emerson Palmieri was sent off before halftime after accumulating two yellow cards.

In their recent win against league-worst Auxerre, Ulisses Garcia received his marching orders in the 65th minute, while Robinio Vaz, Angel Gomes, Emerson Palmieri, and Matt O’Riley were also booked. Fortunately for them, Auxerre’s Sinaly Diomande was also sent off during stoppage time.

Garcia’s suspension doesn’t apply in the Champions League, unlike Emerson’s. The Brazilian left-back will join the injured Hamed Traore, Geoffrey Kondogbia, and Amine Gouiri on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Tim Weah and Leonardo Balerdi are listed as doubts. 

Igor Paixao is expected to be recalled into the starting XI, as he already scored three goals in the Champions League this season. He’ll likely join Mason Greenwood and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the final third, with Aubameyang already having three assists in the tournament.

 

Atalanta need more goals

Atalanta are finding life much more difficult under Ivan Juric, who has succeeded Gian Piero Gasperini last offseason. This is evident in their past few matches, as La Dea haven’t scored more than twice in a game since their 2-1 win against Club Brugge last month.

During their six-game winless run, Atalanta dropped points against Como, Lazio, Slavia Praha, Cremonese, AC Milan, and Udinese after failing to convert enough chances in the final third. This may lead to changes in the starting XI against Marseille.

After going scoreless with Kamaldeen Sulemana, Gianluca Scamacca, and Lazar Samardzic up front last time out. Juric will likely ask Ademola Lookman and Charles De Ketelaere to lead the frontline on Wednesday. Furthermore, La Dea’s only notable absences include centre-backs Giorgio Scalvini and Sead Kolasinac.

 

History

Wednesday marks only the third competitive encounter between Marseille and Atalanta. The last time these two sides clashed was in the 2023-24 Europa League semi-finals, where La Dea won 4-1 on aggregate. After a 1-1 draw in the first leg at the Orange Velodrome, Atalanta notched a 3-0 rout in the reverse fixture at the Gewiss Stadium. 

Atalanta went on to win the Europa League after demolishing Bayer Leverkusen in the final, courtesy of Ademola Lookman’s hat-trick. This was La Dea’s first trophy since winning Serie B in 2010-11. Atalanta have lost just two of their 17 European group or league phase fixtures.

Marseille are undefeated in eight UEFA home games and have lost just two of their last 20. However, they have consistently struggled to pick up points on the road around Europe, having lost 12 of their last 13 Champions League away matches.

 

Betting Tip

The Champions League 2025 odds expect a relatively close fight between Marseille and Atalanta. Because they’re playing at home, Marseille have the slight edge at 2.08 odds, while Atalanta aren’t far behind at 3.07, and a draw is pegged at 3.38 in the 1X2 market.

Both teams are capable of producing new Champions League 2025 highlights at the Orange Velodrome. However, don’t be surprised if they cancel each other out. Besides our recommended bet, bettors may also consider adding Over 2.75 at 1.80 and Over 3.00 at 2.04 to the parlay. Moreover, a Correct Score of 3-0 in favour of Atalanta – the result of their previous meeting – has a staggering offer of 50.00 your bet.

   

●●●

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS

Stay updated with everything sports and betting.

Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.