Dinamo Zagreb vs Atalanta Predictions

Wednesday is a historic occasion for Atalanta, who face their first-ever Champions League game. La Dea are still basking in last term’s heroics after they made the top three in Serie A and booked a spot among Europe’s elite. Now they are bound for Zagreb in midweek for a big test of their European credentials.

The hosts are the early pacesetters domestically, having claimed 16 points from a possible 21 this term. Dinamo are clearly the minnows in this group, despite Atalanta’s lack of experience. The hosts will be battling it out with Man City and Shakhtar Donetsk in this group, which points to a tough Autumn for the Croatian side.

Meanwhile, Atalanta are set to enjoy an opportunity they may not get again. Their first-ever clash in this competition comes as Italy’s top teams gear up for a charge on the top four. The visitors aren’t exactly built for the Champions League, which has seen them move into the San Siro for their three home games in this group. However, will that stop la Dea from progressing?

Atalanta aren’t likely to sacrifice the principles which have brought them this far. The Italians play good football with a squad which has been built up over a number of years. They have paid the price at times for their attacking style, with all three Serie A games this term finishing with both teams hitting the back of the net.

Dinamo are likely to come into this one on the front foot, as they have the chance to catch out Atalanta before they acclimatise to European football once again. The hosts have scored in their last 12 ties in this competition, which should help them to pose an attacking threat to Atalanta in Wednesday night’s encounter.

Not only did four of Atalanta’s five preseason friendlies finish with both teams scoring, but so have their last seven Serie A clashes. They’re clearly far too open in defence for their own good, which leads to problems. As a result, we are backing both teams to score in this week’s meeting in Zagreb.

There’s plenty to like about this Atalanta side. They have risen up the ranks well, while their Europa League results in 2017/18 showed their ability to impress in continental football. The Serie A side have started the campaign with back to back victories on the road, which has promoted us into backing a 2-1 victory for la Dea.