Kick-off: 2000, 16/03/2021
Stadium: Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano
TV: BT Sport
An injury-hit Real Madrid returned from Bergamo with a 1-0 Champions League win over Atalanta but the Italian outfit can’t be written off just yet.
La Dea were reduced to 10 men after just 17 minutes by the harshest of red cards and are fancied to be competitive in Spain with a full compliment.
Qualifying will be tough, but 5/2 for the visitors to salvage some pride with a draw on the night is our first Real Madrid vs Atalanta prediction.
A Look At Real Madrid’s Betting Odds
Remo Freuler’s early dismissal for bringing down Ferland Mendy left most onlookers stunned, with a yellow card regarded as a far more suitable punishment.
However, referee Tobias Stieler ruled that Mendy had been in a goalscoring position and gave the midfielder his marching orders.
Real controlled proceedings from then on and went close to breaking the deadlock through Casemiro, Luca Modric and Vinicius Junior.
In the end, it was full-back Mendy who curled in the 86th-minute decider from the edge of the area to score just a third goal in 63 appearances for the club.
“We were really well focused,” Hugo Lloris told UEFA: “The away goal means a lot but the return leg will be a different game. The Champions League is always tough.”
Real have since been boosted by getting Sergio Ramos and Karim Benzema back from injury, but their performances continue to be workmanlike.
Saturday’s last-gasp 2-1 La Liga triumph over Elche followed 1-1 draws with Real Sociedad and neighbours Atletico.
Looking at the Real Madrid vs Atalanta odds, we like 6/1 for that last-mentioned scoreline to come up again here.
A Look At Atalanta’s Betting Odds
Atalanta are more associated with open affairs, such as when beating Valencia 8-4 on aggregate at this stage last term, prior to a heart-breaking 2-1 defeat by PSG.
A tendency to blow hot and cold was highlighted during this season’s group stage, when a 5-0 home loss to Liverpool was quickly followed by a 2-0 victory at Anfield.
There have been some clear signs of this talented team maturing, though, not least when almost holding out for a draw against Real in Bergamo.
Two games versus Serie A leaders Inter have finished 1-1 and 1-0 in their favour, while Ajax were beaten 1-0 on the road to reach the knockout rounds.
AC Milan and Lazio have been beaten away in domestic action this term, while a 1-1 draw at Juventus also reads well.
Looking ahead to this contest, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini said: “We just have to win in Madrid. We can’t overthink, we just have one possibility – we must win.”
We feel La Dea can give Los Merengues a scare and 5/4 for the visitors to score first is added to our Real Madrid vs Atalanta betting tips.
Reaching the quarter-finals will be hard, though, as highlighted by odds of 14/5 for Atalanta to advance.
Additional stats
Last result:
REAL MADRID 2-1 Elche – Karim Benzema (2)
ATALANTA 3-1 Spezia – Mario Pasalic (2), Luis Muriel
Head-to-head: Atalanta 0-1 Real Madrid
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