Atalanta vs Arsenal: Preview, Prediction, Lineup & How to watch on TV

Arsenal's 2024/25 Champions League campaign begins in Bergamo on Thursday with the Gunners taking on Gian Piero Gasperini's ever-impressive Atalanta.

Mikel Arteta's side head into their European opener with plenty of momentum behind them after they ground out a 1-0 victory in Sunday's North London Derby despite having some key absences in midfield.

After weathering an early storm and keeping Tottenham at bay, Gabriel won the contest with a close-range header just after the hour.

Atalanta are always a unique test given their tendency to man-mark, and we saw Liverpool succumb to La Dea's fierce intensity in the Europa League last year. The Italian side went on to win the competition after thumping the previously unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen in the final.

Ademola Lookman was the star in Dublin, and the former Premier League forward was in fine form at the weekend as Atalanta downed Fiorentina 3-2 in Serie A.

So, let's get into it! Join us for our Atalanta vs Arsenal preview, which features key information such as team news, predicted lineups, guidance on how to watch Atalanta vs Arsenal on TV and an inevitably correct score prediction.

Atalanta vs Arsenal: Preview, Prediction, Lineup & How to watch on TV

What time does Atalanta vs Arsenal Kick-Off?

• When is kick-off? Thursday 19 September, 2024
• What time is kick-off? 20:00 (BST)
• Where is it played? Gewiss Stadium, Bergamo
• Referee: Clément Turpin (FRA)

Atalanta vs Arsenal Head-to-Head Record

Thursday's Matchday 1 bout in the all-new league phase will be the first meeting between Arsenal and Atalanta. La Dea's European history does stretch back to 1963, although their appearances in UEFA's club competitions were sporadic before Gasperini took charge in 2016.

Is Atalanta vs Arsenal on TV?

The Champions League is accessible across the globe, with TNT Sports once again claiming the competition's TV rights in the UK. Arsenal's clash with Atalanta will be shown on TNT Sports 1, as well as discovery+ and the discovery+ app. Paramount+ is the place the be in the USA, and the popular CBS team will be reuniting for another year of thrills and spills on Champions League nights. DAZN is your avenue in Canada.

Atalanta Team News

The hosts have already lost Gianluca Scamacca and Giorgio Scalvini to long-term knee injuries, with stalwart centre-back Rafael Toloi and summer arrival Ben Godfrey newer additions to the injury list.

Godfrey is expected to be out until October with a back injury, while a muscle injury could keep Toloi sidelined for a few weeks.

Isak Hien had a tough outing against Fiorentina on Sunday and could be dropped for Thursday's bout. Bayer Leverkusen loanee Odilon Kossounou could come into the side with former Gunner Sead Kolasinac retaining his place. Gasperini is otherwise unlikely to make many changes from the weekend's winning XI.

Predicted Atalanta lineup vs Arsenal: Musso; Kossounou, Djimsiti, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, De Roon, Ederson, Ruggeri; De Ketelaere, Lookman; Retegui.

Arsenal Team News

Arsenal's injury concerns haven't exactly gone away given the quick turnover. Bukayo Saka, who limped off against Spurs, isn't said to be dealing with anything major, though, and is expected to be available on Thursday.

Declan Rice will return to the team after missing the NLD due to a suspension. Mikel Merino remains out, and there are doubts over the statuses of Martin Odegaard, Riccardo Calafiori, and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Kieran Tierney, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Mikel Merino remain out for the visitors.

Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus, both of whom were used off the bench on Sunday, could come into the XI in midweek. It would be a first Arsenal start for Sterling.

Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Atalanta: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Partey, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Jesus, Sterling.

Atalanta vs Arsenal Score Prediction

Atalanta look a little different from last season due to key injuries and the notable exit of Teun Koopmeiners to Juventus. However, the club has recruited well and we should see some of their new personnel in action on Thursday.

Lookman's form should concern Arsenal, especially given that he's likely to match-up against Ben White off the back of the right-back's sub-par display on Sunday. That'll be a key avenue for the hosts to exploit.

While the Gunners may be slightly undermanned, they're built to deal with teams such as Atalanta. They'll go over the top to avoid La Dea's high pressure and aim to physically dominate in the centre of the pitch. Given how well the backline performed on Sunday, I'll back the visitors to shut their hosts out and make the most of a couple of high-quality situations Atalanta typically surrender.

Prediction: Atalanta 0-2 Arsenal

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