Belgian champions Union Saint-Gilloise face a tough battle to keep their faint Champions League hopes alive.
David Hubert’s side host Atalanta on an action-packed Matchday 8 of the League Phase, knowing that only a win will suffice.
But the Italian visitors are still in the fight to finish in the Top 8 and automatically qualify for the Round of 16, so motivation levels will be maxed out on both sides.
Here is our full match preview for Union Saint-Gilloise vs Atalanta, complete with sports betting tips to help you craft your Champions League football bets online this week.
Union Saint-Gilloise vs Atalanta Preview
USG sit 31st in the table on just six points following last week’s 2-0 loss at Bayern Munich.
The Jupiler Pro League leaders are two points behind the teams in 22nd-24th, so a minor footballing miracle is required to stay in the Champions League.
And at home in this competition, USG have really struggled. Back-to-back 4-0 losses vs Newcastle and Inter Milan were followed by a 3-2 loss vs Marseille.
USG’s two victories came on the road against PSV (1-3) and Galatasaray (0-1), and those are the performances they must look to replicate when Atalanta pay a visit to Brussels.
The Italian side actually suffered a surprise 3-2 home defeat to Athletic Bilbao on Matchday 7, which ended a three-match winning run in Europe after triumphs over Marseille (0-1), Eintracht Frankfurt (0-3) and Chelsea (2-1).
Atalanta did lose 4-0 at Paris Saint-Germain in their opening match of the tournament, but that is a result which can almost be excused given the class of the reigning champions.
So the size of the task at hand for USG is clear for all to see, and a 0-0 league draw at OH Leuven on the weekend was not exactly ideal preparation for Hubert and his players.
In stark contrast, Atalanta thrashed Parma 4-0 in Serie A ahead of boarding a plane to Belgium!
Union Saint-Gilloise vs Atalanta Odds
*All odds are subject to change
USG are the underdogs ahead of kick-off, priced at 3.30 to claim the win. A victory for Atalanta is at odds of 2.11, while the draw here is 3.65.
Union Saint-Gilloise vs Atalanta Betting Tips
Both teams to score – Yes @ 1.57
With both teams knowing that only a victory would fulfil their desires of either a Top 8 finish or a place in the play-offs, we expect an open game in Brussels. As such, the BTTS market really stands out, and this selection landed in USG’s last Champions League home match, as well as in each of Atalanta’s last two games on this stage.
Anytime goalscorer – Gianluca Scamacca @ 2.38
Scamacca scored in each of Atalanta’s last two Champions League contests against Chelsea and Athletic Bilbao. He was also on target from the penalty spot in the 4-0 win over Parma, so the strong price on offer here should pique the interest.
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