Atalanta vs Liverpool betting preview: Best odds and predictions for the UEL clash
LIVERPOOL travel to Italy looking to overturn a three-goal deficit after an awful night at Anfield last week saw them go down to a 3-0 1st leg defeat.
Jurgen Klopp’s last season in charge of the Reds is disintegrating at an alarming rate. But Liverpool can go a long way to salvaging things if they can perform a miracle in Bergamo on Thursday night.
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Quick betting tips for Atalanta vs Liverpool
- Over 1.5 first-half goals – 10/11 with Spreadex
- Diogo Jota to score anytime – 7/5 with bet365
- Over 2.5 goals and both teams to score – 8/13 with bet365
Atalanta vs Liverpool odds
Here are the latest match odds for Atalanta vs Liverpool from our favourite football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.
Atalanta vs Liverpool betting preview
No one saw last Thursday’s 3-0 win for Atalanta coming.
Liverpool have indeed been conceding goals at Anfield at an alarming rate. But Klopp’s team have been getting away with it because they were scoring so many at the other end.
Atalanta would have known they had a great chance of leaving Anfield with something. But never in their wildest dreams would they have expected to leave the UK with more than one foot already in the semi-final.
The turning point in the tie may already have been and gone. At 2-0 down in the first leg, Mohamed Salah thought he had got Liverpool back in the tie with a goal in front of the Kop after 79 minutes.
The goal was ruled out by VAR by the finest of margins. And then to rub salt into the wound, Mario Pašalić added a third for the Italians just four minutes later.
Liverpool are heavy favourites to win on the night in Italy. But in the betting to qualify for the semi-final, the Reds are 9/2, with Atalanta at 1/7.
Atalanta is one of the highest-scoring teams in Serie A. But they also concede a lot. Goals seem inevitable in the second leg.
Liverpool may get the result on the night in Italy. But they have probably already given themselves too much to do to make it to the semi-final.
Atalanta vs Liverpool key stats
- Atalanta are sixth in Serie A, they sit well outside the Champions League places, eight points behind fourth place Bologna.
- In their five matches in all competitions, Atalanta has won three, drawn one and lost one.
- Liverpool sit third in the Premier League on 71 points from 32 matches played. The Reds are two points behind league leaders, Manchester City.
- Liverpool have lost their last two matches in all competitions. After Thursday’s defeat to Atalanta, they lost 1-0 at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday.
- In their last five in all competitions, Liverpool has won two, lost two and drawn one.
- Atalanta are expected to be without Giorgio Scalvini for the visit of Liverpool. On the flip side, Sead Kolasinac looks set to be available.
- Liverpool have no Conor Bradley, Joel Matip or Thiago Alcantara. Set to return to the lineup from the 1st leg are Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota. All three featured in Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace.
Atalanta vs Liverpool best bets
Find our best bets for Atalanta vs Liverpool below. Odds for the bets are provided by the best sportsbooks, as per our expert reviews. Odds in the betting tips are subject to change.
Over 1.5 first-half goals (Spreadex)
Atalanta have scored 57 goals in 31 Serie A matches this season. Only Inter and AC Milan have more, and they sit at one and two respectively.
Liverpool has to go for it in Italy, and as a result, they will probably leave themselves open at the back.
But they know their best way to get back in the tie is with early goals. That could lead to the match opening up and a goals fest.
Back over 1.5 first-half goals at 10/11 with Spreadex
Diogo Jota to score anytime (bet365)
Liverpool are now two games without a goal. Something has to give.
Salah, Nunez and Diaz started up front against Crystal Palace and couldn’t find that cutting edge. Gapko, Nunez and Elliott started against Atalanta last week and all failed.
Diogo Jota came off the bench in both of those matches and although he failed to find the net in either, he still has Liverpool’s best goals per minutes played ratio across all competitions this season (out of the regular starters).
There’s little point leaving Jota on the bench again in a game where Liverpool desperately needs goals. If he starts, get on him at 7/5 to score anytime.
Back Diogo Jota to score anytime at 7/5 with bet365
Over 2.5 goals and both teams to score (bet365)
It almost seems laughable to suggest that Liverpool needs to keep things tight to avoid conceding an early goal.
The high line they play leaves them defensively vulnerable. But it leads to plenty of chances at the other end.
Liverpool only knows how to play this way. They aren’t going to change now. And this is because it normally works. So why would they change?
Atalanta are also prolific scorers. They know Liverpool will look to get after them. And they will look to punish the Reds when they get their inevitable opportunities.
Back over 2.5 goals and both teams to score at 8/13 with bet365
How to watch Atalanta vs Liverpool
- Location: Gewiss Stadium, Bergamo, Italy
- Time: 20:00 BST on Thursday, April 18th
- Where to watch: TNT Sports 1
About the author
Dean Etheridge
Dean is a freelance sports betting writer and website owner who specialises in football and cricket. With many years of experience writing for his own publications and others, Dean can turn his hand to a wide variety of sports, using his extensive knowledge and sense of humour to provide expert content with a totally different perspective. You can follow Dean on LinkedIn (@deanetheridge) and Twitter (@etheridge_dean).
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