Preview: Atalanta BC vs. Athletic Bilbao - prediction, team news, lineups

Aiming to snap a seven-match winless run against Spanish teams in Europe, Atalanta BC host Athletic Bilbao at Stadio di Bergamo in the penultimate fixture of the league phase of the Champions League.

La Dea have not lost since the opening matchday of this year's competition, while their Spanish opponents have won only one of their six matches in Europe heading into Wednesday, failing to score in the last three.

Match preview

Atalanta’s unbeaten start to 2026 continued at struggling Pisa, but Raffaele Palladino's team dropped points for the second time this season against the relegation-threatened side, this time failing to hold on after taking the lead through Nikola Krstovic in the 83rd minute.

Fresh off the disappointment of becoming only the second team in Serie A to concede at Arena Garibaldi, thus falling five points behind sixth-placed Como in the league table, the Bergamaschi return to the comforts of the Champions League this week, looking to edge closer to sealing a top-eight spot.

La Dea have responded to their 4-0 hammering by Paris Saint-Germain on the first matchday to accumulate 13 points from the following five fixtures to rise to fifth in the competition's 36-team league phase, albeit just one point ahead of ninth-placed Liverpool on 12 points, while Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham Hotspur have 11 points apiece.

All eight of the Italian team’s goals in the league phase have come after half-time, pointing to their slow start and strong finish, which stands them in good stead ahead of facing a team that have had a player sent off in consecutive games heading into Wednesday.

With the Bergamo-based outfit not defeating a Spanish side in seven consecutive meetings since beating Valencia in the 2019-20 season, the Nerazzurri will look to exploit the Red and Whites who have been awfully shaky defensively since the turn of the year.

Ernesto Valverde’s men have strikingly let in three goals or more in their last three matches, losing 5-0 to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup, conceding three in a 4-3 Copa del Rey win against Cultural Leonese and suffering a 3-2 defeat away at Real Mallorca.

With no 90-minute victories secured in the past eight matches across all competitions, Valverde's team will fear for their prospects of ending in the top 24 spots in the league phase.

Currently on five points, the 28th-placed Spanish side cannot end among the coveted eight anymore, but they could still finish in the playoff spots between 10th and 24th.

However, they would have to end their three-match winless run in away games on the continent, where they have so far scored one and conceded six, losing at Dortmund (4-1) and Newcastle United (2-0) before a goalless encounter at Slavia Prague in late November.

Considering Athletic Club’s defensive struggles on the road in Europe this term and their recent issues at the back in the new year, Valverde’s team face an uphill challenge in Bergamo this week.

Atalanta BC Champions League form:

Atalanta BC form (all competitions):

Athletic Bilbao Champions League form:

Athletic Bilbao form (all competitions):

Team News

Atalanta seemed to come through their Pisa draw unscathed, but Berat Djimsiti (hip) and Raoul Bellanova (hamstring) are missing.

Possibly returning to the squad this week, albeit most likely on the bench after AFCON involvement, Ademola Lookman could play in some capacity on Wednesday.

Charles De Ketelaere has netted in back-to-back Champions League games for the Bergamaschi — scoring and assisting in wins over Eintracht Frankfurt (3-0) and Chelsea (2-1) — and the Belgian aims to be decisive on matchday seven.

While Gorka Guruzeta is the Spanish side’s leading goalscorer in Europe with three goals, the forward has not found the back of the net in the competition since matchday three.

Nonetheless, he heads into Wednesday after registering five goals plus assists in four matches in 2026, pointing to some hope for the Spanish striker.

Aymeric Laporte (thigh) could miss out due to injury, while Benat Prados, Mikel Vesga (back), Maroan Sannadi (knee) and Nico Serrano (muscle) are sidelined.

Having ended a six-match drought without scoring or assisting, Nico Williams netted in the defeat against Mallorca and aims to score in consecutive matches for the first time this season.

Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:

Carnesecchi; Kossounou, Hien, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, De Roon, Ederson, Bernasconi; De Ketelaere, Pasalic; Scamacca

Athletic Bilbao possible starting lineup:

Simon; Areso, Vivian, Paredes, Berchiche; Jauregizar, Ruiz De Galarreta; Berenguer, Sancet, N. Williams; Guruzeta

We say: Atalanta BC 2-0 Athletic Bilbao

Considering the respective forms of these two teams, Atalanta should back themselves to all but end Athletic Club’s journey on the continent this season.

The Spanish side have been extraordinarily leaky defensively, and the Bergamaschi should take full advantage to extend their unbeaten Champions run.

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