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Atalanta and Portuguese powerhouse Sporting Lisbon go head-to-head in the second leg of their Europa League round-of-16 clash on Thursday.
With last week’s reverse leg ending all square at 1-1, a place in the quarter-finals is very much up for grabs and this makes for a thrilling affair at the Gewiss Stadium.
Atalanta enjoyed an unbeaten group-stage campaign in the Europa League, picking up four wins and two draws to secure top spot in Group D, three points above Sporting Lisbon.
Drawn against each other in the round of 16, Gian Piero Gasperini’s men turned in a resolute display against Sporting Lisbon in last week's first leg as they fought back from behind to salvage a 1-1 draw in Portugal.
Atalanta head into Thursday’s return leg off the back of a thrilling 2-2 draw with Juventus in the Serie A, where they are currently sixth in the table with 47 points from 28 matches.
Elsewhere, Sporting Lisbon maintained their impressive run of results in the Portuguese top flight as they picked up a comfortable 3-0 victory over Arouca on Sunday.
Ruben Amorim’s men have now gone 11 consecutive Primeira Liga games without defeat — claiming 10 wins and one draw — a run which has seen them surge to the top of the table.
Sporting Lisbon will look to build on Sunday’s victory as they turn their attention to the Europa League, where they will be looking to finally get one over Atalanta, having failed to win their three meetings this season.
Atalanta vs Sporting Lisbon Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- This will be the fourth meeting between Atalanta and Sporting Lisbon, with Gasperini’s men claiming two wins and one draw in their previous three encounters.
- Both sides squared off in the group stages, with Atlanta claiming a 2-1 win in Portugal on October 5, seven weeks before holding out for a 1-1 draw in the return fixture at the Gewiss Stadium.
- Paulinho and Gianluca Scamacca scored for either side last Thursday as they settled for a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their round-of-16 clash at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.
- Atalanta have failed to win their last five matches across all competitions, losing twice and claiming three draws since February’s 3-0 victory over Sassuolo.
- Sporting Lisbon are unbeaten in 11 consecutive matches, picking up eight wins and three draws since a 1-0 defeat against Braga on January 23.
Atalanta vs Sporting Lisbon Prediction
Following last Thursday’s result, we anticipate a thrilling contest here as both sides go all out in search of the win. Atalanta’s home advantage gives them a slight edge and we fancy them to come away with a narrow victory.
Prediction: Atalanta 2-1 Sporting Lisbon
Atalanta vs Sporting Lisbon Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Atalanta to win
Tip 2: Both sides to score - Yes (Both sides have scored in four of their last five clashes)
Tip 3: Over 2.5 goals - Yes (There have also been at least three goals scored in six of the hosts’ last eight outings)
