On Thursday, several very interesting matches are scheduled, with the focus on the Europa League semifinal second legs. This time, we have analyzed the duel where Atalanta will host the team from Marseille at their stadium in Bergamo. Of course, we remind you that the first duel between the Italian and French representatives, played a week ago at the Velodrome, ended in a draw (1:1). The kick-off for the return match in Bergamo is set for 9 PM.
Atalanta: The team from Bergamo is shining lately!
For years, Atalanta has been among the cream of the crop in Italian football, largely due to the arrival of Gian Piero Gasperini at the club back in 2016. Last season, the popular “Goddess” managed to secure a spot in the Europa League, and when it comes to the second most prestigious European club competition, we have only words of praise for the Italian representative. The club from Bergamo reached the knockout phase without much trouble, and undefeated, they faced Sporting in the round of 16, a team they also encountered in the group phase. Sporting was a tough opponent, as evidenced by the recent title won by the popular “Lions” in the Primeira Liga, their second in the Ruben Amorim era, who is highly sought after across Europe.
The Italian representative easily reached the quarterfinals, but even there, Atalanta was unlucky in the draw, as they were pitted against Liverpool, considered by many as the top favorite to win the competition. Then came a spectacular match for Atalanta, arguably the best of the season, in which Gian Piero Gasperini’s men triumphed 3-0 at Anfield, practically resolving the question of semifinal qualification in the first duel. In the second match in Bergamo, the English representative won 1-0, which obviously wasn’t enough for a top four placement in this year’s edition of the Europa League. In the first semifinal duel, Atalanta also played a good match and managed to draw away at Marseille, noting that Gasperini’s charges were the better side in that clash at the Velodrome, and surely the Goddess is a big favorite in the return leg.
Atalanta is also shining in the Italian Cup, as the team has almost secured a place in the grand final, where they will face Juventus. Finally, regarding Serie A, as things stand, it is very likely that we will see the club from Bergamo in the Champions League next season, as with three rounds to go, the Goddess is in fifth place on the table, with the same number of points as sixth-placed Roma, but with a game in hand. As the fifth position recently started offering a spot in the elite club competition, there’s practically no doubt about their qualification for the Champions League, noting that next round the club will host Roma at their stadium, presenting a great opportunity to solidify the fifth spot on the table. In the last round, Gian Piero Gasperini’s charges celebrated a comeback victory away at Salernitana, with the match ending 1-2.
Marseille: Can the French representative reach the Europa League final?
The season couldn’t have started worse for Marseille, who were eliminated from the Champions League qualifiers in August by Greek team Panathinaikos, which was, of course, a big surprise. Consequently, the team from the Velodrome had to settle for a place in the second most prestigious European club competition. Speaking of which, the French representative was in a very tough group that included Brighton, Ajax, and AEK. Ultimately, this team managed to secure second place in the group behind the English representative and advance to the round of 32. The first obstacle in the knockout phase was Ukrainian Shakhtar, who were eliminated from the Champions League despite some pretty good performances.
The Ukrainian team was knocked out after a great match at the Velodrome, where the French side won 3-1, and then Marseille faced Villarreal, progressing further much easier than expected. In the quarterfinals, the draw was not kind to the former European champions, who faced Benfica, considered by many as one of the main favorites to win the Europa League. However, coach Gase’s charges played well in both matches and after a better penalty shootout, they secured a semifinal place, where they were matched against Atalanta. It must be acknowledged that the team from Bergamo left a better impression in the first match at the Velodrome, which ended 1-1, so hope still flickers that the French representative might reach the grand final, which will admittedly be a very tough task. Regarding Ligue 1, much more was expected from Marseille, as one of the most trophy-laden French clubs is currently only in ninth place on the table, five points behind sixth-placed Lens, and as things stand, the chances are very slim that we will see the team from the Velodrome in European competitions next season.
In the last round, Marseille finally played a good match and celebrated a 2-1 victory at their own stadium against Lens. However, as we have already mentioned, the general impression of the performances of this French giant in the elite tier of French football is extremely poor, and what’s worse is that there is very little time left to make improvements. Overall, the team from the Velodrome has had many problems away from home this season, and an interesting fact is that this team, along with Clermont, is the weakest away team in Ligue 1, so it seems that coach Gase’s charges don’t stand much of a chance in this return leg in Bergamo.
Our Betting Suggestions
When all is considered and after analyzing everything both teams have done so far in the championship, we conclude that Atalanta is the big favorite in this matchup. Therefore, we confidently recommend that you try your luck with a win for the home team (fr 1), which Mozzartbet offers at an odd of 1.80.
It is realistic to expect that the Italian representative, who has been playing fantastically lately, will score at least two goals in this duel against Marseille. Thus, we recommend you try the t1 over 1.5 goals bet with odds of 1.83 at Mozzartbet.
Finally, although the stakes are huge, it’s not out of the question that we witness a highly effective duel, so we recommend you focus on the over 2.5 goals bet, for which Mozzartbet has set odds of 1.82.
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