Hapoel Tel Aviv vs Atalanta Predictions

• Hapoel Tel Aviv have only lost one of their seven competitive fixtures this season
• Atalanta have yet to lose this season from their two matches
• Both teams finished the first leg with xG figures of 0.75

Hosts can make life difficult for Sarri’s outfit

Hapoel Tel Aviv managed to leave Bergamo with a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their Conference League play-off tie and they should be able to make life tough for the Serie A outfit.

Elyaniv Barda got his tactics spot on last week as the Israeli Premier League side managed to secure a goalless draw ahead of a return to Bloomfield Stadium.

The Reds have won both of their Conference League ties at home 2-0, but those victories came against GKS Katowice and Ludogorets. Atalanta will provide a much sterner test, but they are still adjusting to life under new coach Maurizio Sarri.

While last week’s first-leg result was a setback, Sarri’s side managed to beat Sassuolo 2-1 in their first game in Serie A this season.

Atalanta have only won two of their last ten competitive away games, so it is hard to imagine them winning comfortably against a team that matched them in Bergamo.

Thursday’s tie is a potential banana skin for Sarri, but they should be able to lean on their European experience to dig in and find a way through in the second half.