Barcelona vs. Atalanta BC: UCL Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

On Wednesday, Barcelona will welcome Atalanta BC in a Champions League match in an effort to keep their perfect 2025 record intact.

Even though they have already guaranteed a position in the round of eight, the Blaugrana still have a chance to finish first in the league. Meanwhile, Atalanta, now in seventh place, will try to lock up a slot in the round of sixteen on matchday eight.

A preview of the match

Following a six-game winning streak in the league phase, Barcelona are now only three points behind Liverpool, who are in first place. This comes after the Catalans suffered an away loss to Monaco.

Hansi Flick's squad has been on fire recently, beating Young Boys, Bayern Munich, Red Star Belgrade, Brest, and Borussia Dortmund. Last week, they stunned Benfica with a miraculous comeback and earned three more points.

At the Estadio da Luz, the Blaugrana fell behind 3-1 and 4-2 on their way to Lisbon. Still, they came back victorious thanks to a remarkable comeback in the 86th minute, when Eric Garcia scored to level the score and a 96th-minute goal by Raphinha. Robert Lewandowski scored his second penalty to set the stage for the comeback.

Barcelona continued their prolific scoring form from their match in Portugal with a 7-1 thrashing of Valencia at home on Sunday in La Liga. The Catalan club, currently in third place, pulled within seven points of Real Madrid, who are in first place, thanks to five goals in the first half, two of which came from Fermin Lopez.

Atalanta will be hoping for a repeat performance at home in the Champions League after winning their last three European home matches by a combined score of 12-1. On the other hand, Barcelona will be riding high after winning six and drawing one of their seven competitive matches in 2025.

Assuming Liverpool loses their away match against PSV Eindhoven, the Blaugrana know that a victory will guarantee them first place in the league.

Unlike their opponents, Atalanta still have a ways to go before they can join Barcelona in the round of 16. The Italian team is now in ninth place, one point ahead of their opponents, following seven league matches with four wins, two draws, and one loss.

Before their 3-0 victory against Shakhtar Donetsk, the Italian team went on a five-game undefeated streak, drawing scoreless matches against Celtic and Arsenal. They then won back-to-back European matches against Stuttgart and Young Boys.

After losing 3-1 to Real Madrid on matchday six, Atalanta bounced back last week with a 5-0 thrashing of Sturm Graz. Goals came from Mario Pasalic, Ademola Lookman, Mario Brescianini, Charles De Ketelaere, and Mateo Retegui.

The Serie A team's impressive home performance, which included 18 goals, propelled them to third place in the league. Their fourth-best defensive record resulted from allowing only four goals.

Despite failing to win any of their previous five Champions League matches against Spanish opponents (D1, L4), Atalanta may take Saturday's 2-1 league victory against a Como side managed by former Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas as a good sign for Wednesday's challenging European match.

Atalanta has been impressive on the road in Europe this season, winning all three league matches away from home while scoring 11 goals and allowing just one.

Barcelona x Atalanta BC Team News

Barcelona defender Inigo Martinez is still out with a hamstring injury, while Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Marc Bernal, who have been out for a while due to knee problems, are still trying to get back to full fitness.

After sitting out the last two matches due to a calf injury, forward Dani Olmo will most likely not be able to play on Wednesday.

The good news is that Pedri is on the mend and might be back in the Barcelona midfield for the last league games.

While Wojciech Szczesny may continue to start for Flick for a third straight game, Gavi and Lewandowski may get a chance to play again after sitting on the bench over the weekend.

On the other hand, Gianluca Scamacca (forward) and Odilon Kossounou (defender) are out with adductor and knee ailments, respectively, for Atalanta.

It will be necessary to evaluate midfielder Marten de Roon after he was substituted after halftime against Como due to a collision with Maximo Perrone.

Isak Hien served a one-match ban for accumulating yellow cards over the weekend; he will soon be returned to the starting lineup.

In Atalanta's previous four league games, Retegui has scored five goals, and he'll be hoping to keep up the good work.

Our Predictions

Barcelona to win @ 1.76 on Sky247.ng

In Wednesday's Champions League match, Atalanta will undoubtedly threaten Barcelona. However, the Catalan giants have scored three or more goals in their past six European games, so we expect them to come out on top and win.

Elevate your betting experience with SKY247 Nigeria. Join now and discover a thrilling world of sports, live events, and exclusive bonuses. Bet with confidence on your favorite teams and games.