Match Betting (1x2)
Atalanta are one of the surprise teams in the last sixteen stage of the Champions League, with the Serie A club having managed just two wins during the group stage although this didn’t tell the full story of what happened.
The Italian club were hammered 4-0 away to Dinamo Zagreb in their opening clash and a home reverse against Shakhtar meant that the odds were stacked against Gian Piero Gasperini’s side although they did finish third in their domestic league last season.
Therefore, it shouldn’t really have been a surprise that Atalanta managed to summon a comeback which saw them finish second behind Manchester City and they now have an opportunity to make further progress.
Compared to some of the other group winners that La Dea could have drawn, this is a decent tie and Paddy Power go 11/10 about the Italian side claiming a win at the Gewiss Stadium on Wednesday 19 February.
They will know the importance of establishing a first leg advantage, with Valencia unbeaten at the Mestalla in La Liga at the time of writing and looking to get a positive result.
Indeed, Los Che will be really confident that they can get through this Champions League tie and they are a 13/5 chance to claim the spoils in this clash, with the visitors having already come away from Stamford Bridge with a win in Europe this term.
Valencia would clearly be happy with a draw, especially if it was a high-scoring one, with William Hill going 13/5 about this one ending all square.
To Qualify
This is certainly regarded as one of the more evenly-matched ties although Valencia did win a group that involves Ajax and Chelsea, with the Spanish side trading at 8/11 to win over two legs and go through to the quarter final stage of the competition.
For those that fancy Atalanta, you can get 13/10 about the Italian side and it should be known that many regard this as a 50-50 tie, so perhaps the value is with the Serie A outfit.
Asian Handicap
Atalanta must not lose this match if they are to go through to the quarter final stage of the Champions League and you can get 5/9 about the Italian side with an Asian Handicap off a mark of zero which would mean money back if the clash ends all square.
If you have a stronger fancy for the Serie A team, then you can get 16/5 with Unibet that they win with a -1.5 handicap, while conversely some punters might want to side with Valencia at 9/11 off a +0.5 goal start.
Both Teams to Score
There were twenty goals scored during the six games played by Atalanta during the group stage and the 4/6 about both teams scoring looks really attractive, although there’s the possibility that the sides will approach this clash in a cagey fashion.
The “No” option on this market is a 5/4 chance and perhaps Atalanta will be wary of giving away the away goal.