Arsenal’s quest for their first-ever Champions League title continues as they prepare to take on Europa League winners Atalanta in their opening European fixture of the 2024/25 season. The Gunners head to Bergamo on Thursday, buoyed by a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby. This victory pushed them into second place in the Premier League, just two points behind Manchester City, whom they will face this weekend.
After reaching the Champions League quarter-finals last season, where they were eliminated by Bayern Munich, Arsenal will be eager to improve on that performance in this year’s expanded competition. However, their first challenge in Europe this season will be no easy task, as Atalanta are formidable opponents.
Atalanta, last season’s Europa League champions, have had a mixed start to their current campaign. After suffering two consecutive defeats, they bounced back with a 3-2 win over Fiorentina. Earlier this season, they faced Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup but fell 2-0. Despite some struggles, Atalanta are known for their resilience, and Arsenal will need to be at their best to secure a positive result.
Atalanta will be missing some key players, including striker Gianluca Scamacca and defender Giorgio Scalvini, both sidelined with ACL injuries. Ex-Everton defender Ben Godfrey and veteran centre-back Rafael Toloi are also out, which could see former Arsenal player Sead Kolasinac line up against his old club. On the attacking front, new signing Mateo Retegui has made an immediate impact, scoring four goals in four Serie A games, while Ademola Lookman, who scored a hat-trick in last season’s Europa League final, will be eager to open his account against Arsenal.
Atalanta’s predicted lineup (3-4-2-1): Carnesecchi; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac; Bellanova, De Roon, Ederson, Ruggeri; De Ketelaere, Lookman; Retegui.
Arsenal, on the other hand, will be dealing with their own injury concerns. Martin Odegaard, who missed the North London Derby due to an injury picked up during the international break, will be absent again for Thursday’s match. He is joined by Mikel Merino and Takehiro Tomiyasu on the injury list. Bukayo Saka also picked up a knock during the Spurs match, but it remains to be seen if he will recover in time for the Atalanta clash. However, Saka is known for his durability and rarely misses matches.
On a positive note, Gabriel Jesus made his return against Tottenham, and Declan Rice is set to return to the starting lineup after serving a suspension. However, Riccardo Calafiori, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Kieran Tierney all missed the Spurs game and are likely to be out for the Atalanta match as well.
Arsenal’s predicted lineup (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Rice, Partey, Havertz; Saka, Jesus, Trossard.
This match promises to be a tightly contested battle as both sides navigate their injury challenges, and Arsenal will hope to start their Champions League campaign on a strong note in Italy.