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After a fine 4-1 home win in the first leg of the tie, Serie A side Atalanta will be looking to make it through to the quarter finals of the Champions League for the first time in their history when they take on Valencia in Spain on Tuesday evening. The Italian’s are the firm favourites thanks to their dominant display at the San Siro last time out, however should Valencia score the first goal of the game, it could well make things interesting. Ahead of kick-off, we take a closer look at the two teams, including their head-to-head record, before delivering our expert betting tip.
Valencia have just one win in their last seven matches in all competitions, with it requiring an almighty turnaround from Los Ches to reach the quarter finals of the Champions League at the expense of opponents Atalanta. Head Coach Albert Celades for any form of consistency following his appointment in September last year, with Valencia sitting 7th in the La Liga standings. Their 4-1 defeat in Italy two weeks ago perhaps summed up their struggles, with the Spanish side having found themselves 4-0 down after just over an hour. The likes of Rodrigo, Goncalo Guedes and Kevin Gameiro have the ability to be a threat on their day, however Valencia know that they must score at least three times to have any hope of progressing on Tuesday.
Atalanta are in their best run of form all season, having risen to fourth place in the Serie A standings, whilst also having one foot in the quarter finals of the Champions League. Head Coach Gian Piero Gasperini has seen his side go unbeaten in their last seven matches in all competitions, scoring a massive 30 goals in the process, including seven in a 7-2 away win over Lecce at the weekend. Atalanta’s ability to score from anywhere on the field has been one of their biggest assets in recent weeks, however the likes of Duvan Zapata and Josip Iličić having been particularly impressive. Based on this, a good betting option for punters ahead of kick-off is betting on both teams scoring at the Mestalla Stadium, a market which is available at odds of 1.44 with Paddy Power.
The two teams have met just twice in the past, with their only competitive fixture having come at the San Siro two weeks ago, when goals from Hans Hateboer, Josip Iličić and Remo Freuler gave the Italian’s a comprehensive 4-1 victory over Valencia. Previously, the duo met in a friendly encounter back in 2017, when Atalanta also came out on top thanks to a 2-1 scoreline. However, perhaps few conclusions can be taken from a pre-season friendly, meaning that their first leg encounter provides more clues ahead of their upcoming match.
Valencia Need a Miracle to Qualify
With the two teams being in such different runs of form, coupled with the aggregate scoreline, it would appear that the chances of Valencia qualifying are slim to none. However, the Spaniard’s are certainly capable of winning on the night in front of their home fans, especially with coach Celades needing a positive, with the pressure on him mounting.
Based on our pre-match preview and the score from the first leg between the two clubs, our top betting tip for the Champions League tie between Valencia and Atalanta this week is to bet on over 2.5 goals being scored during the 90 minutes, a market which is available at odd of 1.44 with William Hill.
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