Atalanta vs Valencia Prediction & Betting Tips - Champions League

Prediction published on 17/02/2020, 09:53  by Daniel Ngulu | Modified on 17/02/2020 at 10:01 in Champions League Predictions

Italian Serie A side Atalanta must be oozing confidence, after the win over AS Roma. They are set to host Spanish side Valencia in the UEFA Champions League as the second round gets underway and will be hoping to get a first leg advantage. Already, being at this stage is a big feat for Atalanta, who are on their first ever season in the Champions League. Beating Roma consolidated their place at fourth on the Serie A standings as they have opened a six-point gap from Roma. As they look to secure a place in next season’s competition, at hand is a game against a side experienced in this competition, and ambitions to advance to the quarters. Atalanta are unbeaten in their last four matches, and they have scored at least twice in each of those, one of them a 7-0 away win over Torino and earlier they drew with Inter Milan. Atalanta have however kept just one clean sheet in their last seven matches. Having come from a Group C that had the experienced Dinamo Zagreb and Shakhtar Donetsk, the Italians should feel ready for this job, even though they managed just two wins in the six group matches. That Atalanta have managed just three clean sheets in the last 10 matches, is well covered by the fact that they do score a plenty. They have scored in each of their last 15 matches and they are also the best scoring side in Serie A. They have 63 goals in Serie A, 17 more than league leaders Juventus. This is one thing they will want to carry to this Champions League game. With five wins in seven matches, and just one loss, Atalanta will be favorites at the San Siro.

Their opponents, Valencia on the other hand, are struggling, and head to this game winless in three matches. The draw with Atletico Madrid in their latest match marked the third straight game they have conceded two or more goals, and with it they slipped to seventh on the La Liga standings. Valencia managed just three wins at the group stages, though they topped their pool and will count on their experience in the Champions League going to this clash. They have five wins and two losses in their last 11 Champions league matches. Valencia have not scored more than one goal in their last seven away matches and going to this one, they have lost three of their five away matches. In their only outright win in the last six away matches, Valencia beat lowly UD Logrones 1-0 in the Copa del Rey then needed penalties to eliminate another lower tier team, Cultural Leonesa. They have two straight away losses but with an unbeaten run of three matches away from home in the Champions League. They beat Chelsea and Ajax away in the group stages and will be hoping for the same here. At no point in their last 12 away matches in the Champions League have Valencia scored more than a goal.