Preview: Young Boys vs. Atalanta BC - prediction, team news, lineups

Fourth will welcome third in Group F on Tuesday night, with Young Boys and Atalanta BC both battling to keep their Champions League knockout-round hopes alive.

Young Boys are currently bottom of the section with just three points to show from their opening four matches, while Atalanta occupy third, two points behind second-placed Villarreal and leaders Manchester United.

Match preview

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A record of one win and three defeats from four matches has brought Young Boys three points, which has left them bottom of Group F but still in with a chance of making the last-16 stage of the Champions League.

Only a win will be good enough to keep the Swiss outfit in contention for the knockout round, but they would be confirmed in fourth place, missing out on the Europa League in the process, with a defeat in this match.

Young Boys are actually on a four-game winless run in all competitions, including a 2-0 defeat at Villarreal in their last Champions League match at the start of the month, while they played out a 1-1 draw with Grasshopper in the Swiss Super League in their last game before the international break.

David Wagner's side won the Swiss Super League for the 15th time last season, which saw them automatically qualify for the Champions League second qualifying round, meaning that they have had to play an awful lot of football in this season's competition to progress to this stage.

Young Boys can take confidence from their performance against Atalanta in the reverse match, only suffering a 1-0 defeat, while they famously beat Man United on home soil in the middle of September.

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Atalanta conceded a damaging late equaliser against Man United in their last Champions League game at the start of the month, which has left them in third position in the section, two points behind second-placed Villarreal and the 20-time English champions in first.

A win for the Serie A outfit on Tuesday would boost their qualification hopes and leave it in their own hands ahead of their final Group F contest against Villarreal on December 8.

Gian Piero Gasperini's side have reached the quarter-finals and round of 16 in the last two seasons of the Champions League, meaning that it would be somewhat of a surprise if they failed to finish in the top two, but the situation in the group is likely to be a lot different after Tuesday's results are confirmed.

Since the 2-2 draw with Man United on November 2, Atalanta have played twice in Serie A, beating Cagliari 2-1 before the international break and then thumping Spezia 5-2 on Saturday.

La Dea have actually only lost one of their eight away matches in all competitions during the 2021-22 campaign, which was the 3-2 defeat at Man United in the European Cup on November 20.

Team News

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Young Boys will be without the services of David von Ballmoos, Cedric Zesiger, Mohamed Camara, Fabian Lustenberger, Jean-Pierre Nsame and Christian Fassnacht through injury.

Theoson-Jordan Siebatcheu was only a substitute against Villarreal in the team's last Champions League fixture but is expected to be handed a starting role on Tuesday night.

Felix Mambimbi is also pushing to be involved in a wide area for the home side, who could select Vincent Sierro and Michel Aebischer as their two central midfielders.

As for Atalanta, Rafael Toloi played the full 90 minutes against Spezia on Saturday after recovering from a thigh injury, and the defender is expected to retain his spot for this match.

Robin Gosens, Hans Hateboer and Matteo Lovato remain on the sidelines, but the Italian outfit are otherwise in good shape as they prepare for the contest in Switzerland.

There are not expected to be many surprises in Atalanta's starting side, with a 3-4-3 formation likely to include Duvan Zapata at centre-forward, while Marten de Roon and Remo Freuler should start in midfield.

Young Boys possible starting lineup:

Faivre; Hefti, Burgy, Lauper, U Garcia; Mambimbi, Aebischer, Sierro, Ngamaleu; Elia, Siebatcheu

Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:

Musso; Toloi, Demiral, Palomino; Zappacosta, Freuler, De Roon, Maehle; Ilicic, Zapata, Pasalic

We say: Young Boys 1-2 Atalanta BC

Atalanta's away form this season has been impressive, and we are backing the Italian outfit to pick up a huge three points at the expense of Young Boys, who will be missing a number of key players through injury.