Atalanta vs Celtic Prediction: Team News and Lineups Preview

It’s an Atalanta vs Celtic prediction, team news, lineups and fixtures preview ahead of Celtic’s Champions League journey to Bergamo. After a hefty scoreline in Dortmund, will we see a positive response from Celtic? Or will Brendan Rodgers see his side revert into their shell? Sam Ingram is on hand to provide his best bet.

Atalanta vs Celtic Prediction: Abundant Goalmouth Action

It was grim viewing for Celtic fans in Dortmund. 7-1. Brendan Rodgers said post-match that it was a game where every single mistake Celtic made got punished. He mentioned how he felt his team got spooked after conceding. I don’t care who you are, if you’ve just been pumped 7-1 away from home in a competition like the Champions League, and your next game in the Champions League is away from home against similar front-footed opposition and you concede a goal which is likely – they’ll be spooked again. It might knock confidence and instil a touch of fear.

The Asian goal line of 3.0 saw some interest after the 7-1 hammering in Dortmund. That has since shifted to a 3.25 goal line which isn’t that bad at all. 

The 3.0 line on MD2 was backed in on the day of Dortmund vs Celtic, shortening the 3.25 line to 1.84 two minutes before KO. That should be odds-on again by KO.

The attacking depth in Bergamo might not be as plentiful as in Dortmund, although I have these two sides rated similarly. We recently saw just how competent Atalanta can be on the continent when Ademola Lookman taught Bayer Leverkusen a lesson in the Europa League final not long after scoring three goals at Anfield. They held Arsenal to a very respectable 0-0 draw at home on MD1. Beat Shakhtar 3-0 at a neutral venue in Germany. They’ve just pumped Genoa 5-1 in Serie A.

Inferiority the one constant

The one constant here, though, is Celtic’s inferiority and approach versus Champions League-level sides away from home in the competition. The underlying data will tell you a different story but Celtic were lucky it was only 7-1. It could’ve been more. Brendan Rodgers can add that to the 7-0 defeat to Barca, 7-1 versus PSG, and 6-0 against Atleti under his guidance.

Celtic played three games in the Champions League group stage last season against Atleti, Lazio and Feyenoord: lost all three with a 10-0 aggregate scoreline. The year before vs Shakhtar, Leipzig, and Real Madrid: Lost twice with a 9-3 aggregate scoreline, again finishing last in their group with a whimper.

There were three goals in the first ten minutes in Dortmund. Atalanta will have their chances. No team has scored more than their 16 goals in Serie A – Only Como and Genoa have conceded more goals in Serie A than Atalanta, but that’s partly because Atalanta have already played both. 

I can’t see how this ends with two or fewer goals. And if we get to three, I’m more than fine siding with the home 1.45 favourite. 

• Atalanta vs Celtic Prediction 3: Atalanta Win and Over 2.5 Goals (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 1.86
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 15/10

Atalanta vs Celtic Prediction odds via bet365 as at 11:00, October 21st, 2024. Odds may now differ.

Match OPTA Stats: Leaky Scots

• This will be Atalanta’s first ever meeting with Celtic and their first European game against a Scottish team. 
• Celtic have lost their last seven UEFA Champions League games against Italian teams by an aggregate score  of 15-1 since winning 2-1 against Milan in October 2007. Away from home, Celtic have lost every single one  of their seven Champions League visits to Italy. 
• Atalanta are looking to win successive games in the UEFA Champions League for the first time since March  2020, reaching the quarter-final that season. 
• Since beating RSC Anderlecht 3-0 in September 2017, Celtic have lost eight of their last nine away matches  in the UEFA Champions League, conceding 36 goals in that period (4 per game). 
• Atalanta have kept a clean sheet in each of their last four games in major European competition, the last  Italian side to do so in five straight games was Milan in April 2023. 
• Since the start of 2022-23, Celtic have conceded more goals than any other side in the UEFA Champions  League (38 – 2.7 per game), while no side has a higher xG per shot faced (0.13) than them among teams  that have played at least 10 games in that time. 

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