A place in the Europa League showpiece event is up for grabs as Atalanta and Marseille go head-to-head in the return leg of their evenly-poised semi-final tie this Thursday. Following a dramatic 1-1 draw in France, the upcoming clash at the Gewis Stadium will determine the finalist.
Gianluca Scamacca’s early opener at the Stade Velodrome put Atalanta in front, but Chancel Mbemba’s 20th-minute equalizer left the tie in limbo. Inspired by the home comforts of Bergamo, La Dea will take the field as pre-match favorites, seeking a first-ever appearance in a major European final.
Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is adamant Atalanta will book tickets for Dublin’s Aviva Arena this month as his men brace up for a crunch week. Less than seven days after Marseille’s visit to Italy, the Bergamo outfit will lock horns with familiar foes Juventus in the Coppa Italia title decider following a come-from-behind semi-final win against Fiorentina.
But Atalanta can’t afford to take their eyes off this tie. They come into proceedings in high spirits after overhauling a halftime deficit to beat Serie A basement boys Salernitana on Monday and solidify their position in a top-five race. That relieves pressure off their Europa League campaign, meaning Champions League qualification is nearly in the bag.
Match Preview
Atalanta
Second-half goals from Teun Koopmeiners and Scamacca propelled Atalanta to a precious win in Salerno, making it four victories in their last five outings. However, they’ve not been as impressive at home lately, going winless in three of their six most recent games at the Gewiss Stadium (W3, D2, L1).
There’s a silver lining, though. Atalanta have often run riot in matches they started as pre-game favorites this season, racking up an eye-catching 16 triumphs in 21 such fixtures (D3, L2). La Dea’s all-time record against French opposition suggests this tie could go either way (W1, D2, L1), but they’ll look to sway that relatively small sample their way.
Back-to-back home wins via multi-goal margins aid the Italians’ cause. But an indifferent form across their last three home contests in European football (W1, D1, L1) should help Atalanta players keep their feet firmly on the ground.
Marseille
Ligue 1 gave their remaining European contenders a weekend off to rest and prepare for this crunch week, including postponing Marseille’s trip to Reims. Les Olympiens’ chances of securing continental football via league action are almost dead in the water, underscoring the importance of lifting their first UEFA silverware since the 2005 Intertoto Cup.
Marseille have been superb at this stage of the Europa League, navigating all three previous semi-final ties, only to fall short in the grand final on each occasion. Making it four out of four hinges on improving their underwhelming traveling record, with Jean-Louis Gasset’s side winning just one of their six European games on foreign soil this term.
Indeed, they’ve lost both knockout away legs to Benfica and Villarreal in the previous rounds. Marseille’s travel sickness stretches beyond the Europa League borders, with the French club managing only four away wins in all competitions this season (W4, D7, L13).
Team News
Atalanta will have to handle this pivotal clash without three first-team defenders. Sead Kolasinac, Rafael Toloi, and Emil Holm are on the sidelines with injuries. Their absences mean Gasperini will rely on Berat Djimsiti, Matteo Ruggeri, and Isak Hien to fill the gaps.
On the other hand, Marseille will take this trip without Valentin Rongier and Bilal Nadir, while Bamo Meite could make the bench despite struggling with a minor ankle problem.
Atalanta vs Marseille Potential Lineups
Atalanta (3-4-1-2): Juan Musso; Giorgio Scalvini, Isak Hien, Berat Gjimshiti; Davide Zappacosta, Marten de Roon, Ederson, Matteo Ruggeri; Teun Koopmeiners; Charles De Ketelaere, Gianluca Scamacca.
Marseille (4-3-3): Pau Lopez; Jonathan Clauss, Chancel Mbemba, Leonardo Balerdi, Amir Murillo; Amine Harit, Jordan Veretout, Geoffrey Kondogbia; Ismaila Sarr, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Luis Henrique.
Atalanta vs Marseille Prediction
With 69% of Marseille’s Europa League assignments in 2023/24 featuring both teams on the scoresheet, Atalanta’s frontline will probably have to pack a punch to edge out their French visitors. Since Gasperini’s troops have bagged 2+ goals in four of their last five home matches, we see La Dea as a decent value to reach the final.
Prediction: Atalanta Win
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