On Friday, English giant Arsenal will face Italian side Atalanta in their first UCL 2024-25 fixture at Gewiss Stadium in Italy.
Before coming to their first UCL 2024-25 fixture, the Gunners defeated their city rival Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, courtesy of a goal by their Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhães. They are 2nd in the Premier League table, just behind the defending champions Manchester City.
On the other hand, Atalanta BC clinched a win against AFC Fiorentina in a Serie A encounter by 3-2, courtesy of goals by Mateo Retegui, Charles de Ketelaere, and Ademola Lookman. Atalanta are currently positioned 9th in the Serie A table.
Atalanta Team News
When Atalanta head coach Gian Piero Gasperini was asked about facing Arsenal in their UCL fixture, he said, “They’re a team I have a lot of respect for. They’re very compact and organized, a good example of good football. Their results speak for themselves, even if they did fall just short of winning the Premier League [last season].”
Atalanta will be missing out on the service of former West Ham United striker Gianluca Scamacca and defender Giorgio Scalvini, as both Italian internationals suffered an ACL injury. Former Everton defender Ben Godfrey (lumbago) and center-back Rafael Toloi (muscle injury) will also miss out on the UCL fixture.
The following injuries paved the way for former Arsenal defender Sead Kolašinac. In the pre-match press conference, he said, “I’m happy to see my old team-mates again, it’s special. It’s always difficult to play against English teams; they are physically strong. We watch a lot of the Premier League and know it will be difficult but we have prepared well and we have a game plan to implement.”
A new addition to the Italian side, Mateo Retegui, has significantly impacted the Serie A by scoring 4 goals in 4 matches. His purple patch would be something Atalanta would like to capitalize on in this UCL fixture.
Atalanta has won only one of their five UEFA competition matches at home against English teams. The sole victory was in their first such fixture, a 3-0 defeat of Everton in the 2017/18 Europa League group stage.
Arsenal Team News
When Arsenal’s head coach Mikel Arteta was asked about facing Atalanta in their first UCL fixture, he said, “It’s very difficult to play against Atalanta. They have a particular playing style which you see week in, week out, and it’s very challenging for opponents coming up against them.”
One of the major players the Gunners missed in the North London Derby was Norwegian midfielder Martin Ødegaard. He sustained an injury over the international break in UEFA Nation’s League. Along with Ødegaard, Mikel Merino and Takehiro Tomiyasu made their way into Arsenal’s injury list.
English striker Bukayo Saka left the pitch with an injury in the match against Tottenham Hotspur. When Mikel Arteta was asked about his availability, he said, “He was able to train today. He completed most of the session, so he’s available.”
Declan Rice returned to the squad after missing out on the trip against Tottenham for a suspension. When asked about their new addition Riccardo Calafiori, Arteta said, “Riccardo [Calafiori] was able to train today so he will be available.”
Predicted Lineup
Atalanta BC: Marco Carnesecchi; Marten de Roon, Isak Hien, Sead Kolašinac; Raoul Bellanova, Mario Pašalić, Éderson, Matteo Ruggeri; Ademola Lookman, Charles De Ketelaere, Mateo Retegui.
Arsenal: David Raya; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Jurrien Timber; Thomas Partey, Declan Rice, Leandro Trossard; Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz.
Match Information
Location: Bergamo, Italy
Stadium: Gewiss Stadium
Date: Friday, 20th September
Kick-off Time: 12:30 AM (IST)
Referee: Clement Turpin (FRA)
VAR: Jerome Brisard (FRA)
