Europa League: Atalanta on the Cusp of First European Final

Atalanta BC vs Olympique de Marseille

Atalanta’s domestic campaign in Serie A hasn’t been the most compelling this season, as Gian Piero Gasperini’s outfit find themselves where they were by the end of the 2022–23 campaign. Trailing by four points from fourth-placed Bologna, La Dea need to be spotless in their remaining Serie A matches at the tail end of the season if they want to live out their Champions League dreams.

Despite their tepid season in Serie A, La Dea have been shining in the Coppa Italia, where they’ll face a formidable Juventus outfit, and in the Europa League, where they’re one win away from booking their maiden trip to a European competition final.

Meanwhile, Marseille’s journey to the semifinal has been admirable, surpassing convincing outfits like Benfica and Villarreal. Although, a glaring Achilles heel for the Ligue 1 club has been their inability to perform during away legs, it’ll be interesting to see if they can deliver when they play the most crucial away game of their Europa League campaign.

Talking Points

Atalanta’s depleted defence

La Dea have been on fire at home as of late, winning 11 of their last 14 matches at Gewiss Stadium. It helps their narrative that their semifinal adversaries, French outfit Marseille, have been struggling on the road, losing four of their five road outings.

But despite Atalanta’s home advantage, it won’t be a walk in the park for Gasperini and his men, as they’ll be running thin on the defencive side when they welcome Marseille for their do-or-die clash in Bergamo.

Gasperini has a lot to figure out, as he’ll have to do without three of his first-team defenders, Sead Kolasinac, Rafael Toloi, and Emil Holm, who are all sidelined due to injuries.

Due to this predicament, it could be safe to assume that Gasperini will rely on his potent offence to deliver Europa League 2024 highlights on Marseille’s goal.

Atalanta striker Gianluca Scamacca has scored six goals in his last six matches, spearheading La Dea’s offence. The Italian forward singlehandedly kept the pressure on Marseille by scoring Atalanta’s only goal in the first leg of their semifinal clash. He was also the main catalyst for La Dea’s success against the former Europa League 2024 odds favourites Liverpool in the quarterfinals.

All in all, with a depleted first third coming into their crucial match against Marseille, La Dea could rely on their offencive potency to overcome Marseille and make their European final debut.

Marseille have to show up on the road

Marseille are already out of the running for a Champions League appearance through Ligue 1, but they can still keep their Champions League dreams alive by winning the Europa League. However, Jean-Louis Gasset and his men have a herculean task ahead of them when they visit Gewiss Stadium later this week.

As stated above, the French outfit have been struggling mightily on the road, winning just one of their last seven on the road, losing four of their last five away games, and conceding at least twice in their last five away clashes. Basically, they haven’t found their form away from Orange Vélodrome.

On top of that, OM have remained winless across their last eight games against Italian adversaries in European competition (D3, L5). The last time they won against an Italian side was way back in the 2003–04 UEFA Cup quarterfinal, when they beat Inter 1-0.

Now, the question is, Can Marseille get the job done on the road when it matters most? It will be a colossal effort, especially without the services of Valentin Rongier and Bilal Nadir, but it’s certainly not impossible.

History

This will be just the second meeting between Atalanta and Marseille in a competitive setting following the first leg of their semifinal draw (1-1) at Orange Vélodrome last week.

In recent form, Atalanta have won three Serie A matches in a row, cutting down their deficit to four points from Bologna. They still have a slim chance of clinching a Champions League spot through the Italian top flight if they play the rest of the season to a tee.

Meanwhile, Marseille have already conceded their chances to reach the Champions League through Ligue 1, but they can still live out their Champions League aspirations if they win the Europa League.

Like Atalanta, Marseille have been unbeaten in their last three top-flight matches, so it’s safe to say that both teams will be in form when they come into their Europa League clash.

Betting Tip

The odds at SBOTOP have Atalanta as the favourites at 1.70, while the visiting Marseille are the underdogs at 4.19 with a draw price of 3.41.

Unlike their first leg, I personally don’t see this match ending in a draw, especially with Atalanta boasting home advantage. La Dea at 1.70 is a good choice, but if you want more bang for your buck, my betting tip is Atalanta’s Asian Handicap of -0.75 at 1.92.

 

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