Manchester United is welcoming Atalanta to Old Trafford in round 3 of Group F in the UEFA Champions League. United is in a bit of a slump right now, but this is still a good team, and I think they will bounce back soon. Atalanta has caught a good form, and their offense is finally warming up.
As I’ve mentioned, United is in a slump, and they have won only 1 of their last 5 games. In their last 2 games, United’s defense has been looking terrible, and they have conceded 5 goals in those 2 games. The good news I suppose for United is their offense is producing and scoring goals consistently. In their last game against Leicester City on the road, United has had 51% of ball possession, 6 shots on goal, 3 corner kicks, 1 big chance created, and 86% of the correct passes. This was a wild game where United was leading, then they were losing, then they tied the score, but they conceded 2 more goals after that, and United ended up losing this game 4-2. As far as the Champions League goes, United is in 3rd place with 3 points, but this group is wide open, and a lot could change until the end. Ronaldo has scored 2 goals for United so far in the Champions League. Their form aside, United is a great team with a well-balanced midfield and defense, but they are not utilizing that as of late, and that is the problem coach Solskjaer has to fix fast.
Atalanta is playing well, their form is on the rise, while their offense is finally showing tiny bits of what they can do. In their last game against Empoli on the road, Atalanta was solid with 52% of ball possession, 7 shots on goal, 4 corner kicks, 5 big chances created, and 81% of the correct passes. With 2 scored goals in each half and a penalty kick missed in the 67th minute, Atalanta has won this game 1-4. At the moment, Atalanta is at the top of this group, and they will try to remain there after this game as well. Yes, Atalanta does have a few injuries, but they have a solid depth, and they have quite a few offensive options at their disposal. In Serie A, Atalanta is still far away from the top, but if they can keep playing this well, they will catch up to Napoli soon enough.
These two teams have never met in the past. This will be an interesting game that will start slowly, but it will open up soon after, and for that reason, I expect goals in this one.