In the Champions League Round of 16 on March 18, 2026, the second leg between Atalanta and Bayern will take place. Everything was already decided back in Bergamo.
The Italians finished third in last season’s Serie A—but after that, long-time coach Gasperini left his position. The club failed with their gamble on Juric as his successor, losing a couple of months. Palladino is trying to fix things, and they reached the cup semi-final, drawing 2-2 away in the first leg against Lazio. But in Serie A, the top four is already too far away. The Germans, meanwhile, effectively secured the “silver salad bowl,” pulling ahead by about ten points from their closest Bundesliga rivals by spring. That leaves only the cup domestically, where they’ve also reached the semi-finals.
In the Champions League, the Bergamo club, after a 0-4 defeat to Bayern in the opening round, claimed four victories in the next five matches. This perhaps made them a bit complacent, as they lost both matches in January and entered the playoffs in February. However, they produced a heroic comeback: after losing 0-2 in Dortmund, they came back at home to win 4-1, with a decisive penalty goal in stoppage time.
The Munich giants slipped only once in the main stage, losing 1-3 to Arsenal in London. But, by winning all seven of their other matches, they finished second in that tournament stage. Then, in Bergamo, they routed Scamacca’s side, conceding just a consolation goal while scoring six themselves.
Previous matches: Bayern vs Atalanta
The clubs faced each other for the first time last week.
It’s unlikely that the Italians will make significant improvements and are more likely to conserve energy. We suggest betting on the hosts with a -1.5 goal handicap (odds – 1.75).
Bayern vs Atalanta: Key Stats and Trends
Bayern have won eight of their last nine Champions League matches
The club scores an average of 3.11 goals and concedes 1 per game
Atalanta have lost four of their last five matches
The team scores an average of 1.36 goals and concedes 1.73 per game
Bayern vs Atalanta: Probable Starting Lineups
Bayern line up in a 1-4-2-3-1 formation (possible lineup): Urbig – Laimer, Tah, Upamecano, Stanisic – Pavlovic, Kimmich, Dias, Gnabry, Olise – Jackson. Neuer and Ito are unavailable.
Atalanta line up in a 1-4-4-2 formation (possible lineup): Carnesecchi – Bernasconi, Kolasinac, Hin, Zappacosta – Zalewski, Pasalic, de Roon, Sulemana – Scamacca, Krstovic
