Sports Mole previews Thursday’s Europa League clash between Atalanta BC and Marseille, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
A place in the Europa League final will be at stake when Atalanta BC welcome Marseille to Bergamo on Thursday, with their semi-final tie finely poised after last week’s first leg.
The Serie A side are just one game away from their first European final, but OM are also intent on meeting either Roma or Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin.
Match preview
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At the end of their first-ever meeting, Atalanta and Marseille could not be split at Stade Velodrome, as La Dea proved unable to retain a lead earned by Gianluca Scamacca’s 11th-minute opener.
Soon after the striker made it six goals in as many games, Chancel Mbemba drew OM level, scoring spectacularly from outside the box to bag his fourth Europa League goal of the season – more than any other defender across UEFA’s three club competitions.
Though substitute Aleksei Miranchuk came close to snatching a precious winner in the final moments, the scoreline ultimately finished all square, setting up a high-stakes contest at the Gewiss Stadium.
Having now extended their unbeaten away run in Europe to 11 matches – including last month’s superb 3-0 win at Anfield – Atalanta return to home turf, where they have won 11 of their last 14 matches.
Indeed, throughout their history in the Europa League and its predecessor the UEFA Cup, the Nerazzurri have lost just two of 17 home games, winning 10 and keeping eight clean sheets in the process.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s current side are not only thriving in Europe but have also booked a place in this year’s Coppa Italia final – they meet Juventus in Rome later this month – and are in contention to earn Champions League qualification via Serie A.
Following Monday’s 2-1 comeback win over relegated Salernitana, Atalanta sit fifth in the standings with four games remaining, and Italy’s top flight will have five seats at Europe’s top table next season.
The Lombardy club are already enjoying a golden era under their experienced head coach, but becoming the first Italian club to claim the Europa League would see ‘Gasp’ cement his status as an all-time great in Bergamo.
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While Atalanta are yet to make it all the way to a continental final, their opponents boast a rich tradition in that respect, having been crowned champions of Europe in 1993 and subsequently lost the 1999, 2004 and 2018 UEFA Cup/Europa League deciders.
Furthermore, Marseille have won each of their last three semi-final ties in UEFA’s second-tier tournament, but they must now try to improve on their recent away record in order to progress past La Dea.
OM have won just one of six away games in Europe this season – losing at Villarreal and Benfica in the knockout phase alone – as well as picking up a dismal 11 points on the road in Ligue 1.
That is the joint-worst tally throughout the French top flight, yet they remain in the hunt for European qualification, lying five points behind sixth-placed Lens with one game in hand.
Jean-Louis Gasset’s side were spared any domestic action at the weekend, due to their involvement in Europe, so they have had a full week to prepare for the test that awaits in Italy.
Having stepped in to become Marseille’s third manager of the season, Gasset has helped the south coast side emerge from their latest crisis, and his short-term deal could even end in glory later this month.
Winning the Europa League would also secure a spot in next season’s Champions League, but overcoming Atalanta, then either Roma or the new German champions, is a tall task indeed.
Atalanta BC Europa League form:
Atalanta BC form (all competitions):
Marseille Europa League form:
Marseille form (all competitions):
Team News
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After suffering an injury in last week’s match, ex-Marseille defender Sead Kolasinac has joined Emil Holm and Atalanta club captain Rafael Toloi on the sidelines – though the latter has just returned to training, he will not yet be considered for selection.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s defensive options are improved, though, by the return of Swedish centre-back Isak Hien, who was suspended for the first leg.
Having rested a number of players in Monday’s game at Stadio Arechi, Gasperini is set to recall Teun Koopmeiners – who fired home a trademark long-range winner against Salernitana – Charles De Ketelaere and Berat Djimsiti.
Scorer of La Dea’s opening goal in Salerno, Gianluca Scamacca has scored five of Atalanta’s seven goals in the Europa League knockout stages so far – only Marseille’s prolific frontman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang can match that tally since the group phase.
All told, Aubameyang has 10 goals in the competition this season and is also its all-time top scorer, while across all matches this term the former Arsenal star boasts 27 goals in 47 games, rediscovering some of his best form in the process.
Ismaila Sarr, Faris Moumbagna and Iliman Ndiaye are the main contenders to partner Aubameyang up front on Thursday, but none of them has scored more than five goals this season and so the main attacking burden is again likely to fall on the shoulders of the man from Gabon.
Samuel Gigot is back from a one-match ban, so Amir Murillo may make way from the visitors’ back three, which should be led by first-leg hero Chancel Mbemba; Bamo Meite and OM captain Valentin Rongier are both ruled out by injury.
Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Carnesecchi; Djimsiti, Hien, Scalvini; Zappacosta, De Roon, Ederson, Ruggeri; Koopmeiners, De Ketelaere; Scamacca
Marseille possible starting lineup:
Lopez; Mbemba, Gigot, Balerdi; Clauss, Harit, Veretout, Kondogbia, Henrique; Aubameyang, Moumbagna
We say: Atalanta BC 2-1 Marseille (Atalanta BC win 3-2 on aggregate)
Given their goalscoring options and impressive home form, Atalanta surely start favourites to progress past Marseille, who can be flaky away from home.
The French side certainly possess a genuine threat on the counter, but their hosts should have sufficient firepower to reach the Europa League final.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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