Atalanta vs Athletic Bilbao prediction 21.01.2026 | Champions League
Atalanta
Kick off:
Date:
Athletic Bilbao
1
1.81
X
3.86
2
4.92
Contents
- Competition: Champions League
- Date: 21st January 2026
- Kick-off: 20:00 UK / 21:00 CET
- Venue: New Balance Arena
Wednesday night in Bergamo feels like one of those quiet turning points. Atalanta sit inside the top eight, which sounds comfortable until you notice the margin. One point separates the Black and Blues from ninth. Slip once and the picture changes. Athletic Club arrive in a very different mood. Los Leones sit in the bottom nine with just five points from six games. This preview looks at form, fitness, and where the betting angles begin to take shape.
Atalanta vs Athletic Club H2H stats
This will be the first competitive meeting between Atalanta and Athletic Club. No shared history to lean on here. Atalanta have faced Spanish opposition nine times and won only twice, which might raise an eyebrow. Athletic Club, on the other hand, have picked up ten wins from their last 22 games against Italian sides, so they will not feel overawed by the setting.
Atalanta team overview
Atalanta’s Champions League campaign began in brutal fashion. A 4–0 defeat to PSG in Paris left plenty of questions. Since then, though, the response has been sharp. Raffaele Palladino’s side have not lost again, stringing together four wins and a draw.
The last three victories came with a 6–1 aggregate score, and six wins from the last seven home games only adds to the confidence around the New Balance Arena.
Gianluca Scamacca has found the net just once in Europe so far, which feels low for a striker of his profile. Still, he is expected to lead the line again.
Raoul Bellanova is edging closer to a return from a hamstring injury, but this match arrives too soon. Berat Djimsiti and Mitchel Bakker also remain out with hip problems, which trims depth at the back.
Last matches of Atalanta
-
Pisa
1 : 1
Atalanta
Serie A
-
Atalanta
2 : 0
Torino
Serie A
-
Bologna
0 : 2
Atalanta
Serie A
-
Atalanta
1 : 0
AS Roma
Serie A
-
Atalanta
0 : 1
Inter Milan
Serie A
Atalanta lineup
Goalkeeper
-
29
Marco Carnesecchi
Defenders
-
69
Honest Ahanor
-
4
Isak Hien
-
42
Giorgio Scalvini
Midfielders
-
47
Lorenzo Bernasconi
-
8
Mario Pašalić
-
15
Marten de Roon
-
6
Yunus Musah
Forwards
-
59
Nicola Zalewski
-
9
Gianluca Scamacca
-
17
Charles De Ketelaere
Athletic Club team overview
It has been a frustrating season in Bilbao. Los Leones sit ninth in La Liga, eight points off the European places, and their Champions League return has brought only five points from six matches.
Momentum has been hard to find. Just one win in the last five games, and that came against Cultural Leonesa in the Copa del Rey.
Ernesto Valverde’s side have struggled defensively, and it showed again against Mallorca, where Athletic conceded three or more goals for the third match in a row.
Discipline was an issue too. Gorka Guruzeta, Unai Gómez, and Iñigo Lekue all saw red, though none of those suspensions carry into Europe.
Injuries remain a concern. Beñat Prados and Unai Egiluz are sidelined with cruciate ligament injuries, while Aymeric Laporte continues to recover from a hamstring problem.
Last matches of Athletic Bilbao
-
Mallorca
3 : 2
Athletic Bilbao
La Liga
-
Cultural Leonesa
0 : 1
Athletic Bilbao
Copa Del Rey
-
FC Barcelona
5 : 0
Athletic Bilbao
Super Cup
-
Osasuna
1 : 1
Athletic Bilbao
La Liga
-
Athletic Bilbao
1 : 2
Espanyol
La Liga
Athletic Bilbao lineup
Goalkeeper
-
1
Unai Simón
Defenders
-
17
Yuri Berchiche
-
4
Aitor Paredes
-
3
Dani Vivian
-
12
Jesús Areso
Midfielders
-
16
Íñigo Ruiz de Galarreta
-
20
Unai Gómez
-
18
Mikel Jauregizar
Forwards
-
10
Nico Williams
-
11
Gorka Guruzeta
-
7
Alejandro Berenguer Remiro
Prediction
Atalanta’s home form suggests control, but Athletic Club rarely fold completely. The Black and Blues have conceded just twice in their last six matches, while Los Leones have drawn three of their six Champions League games. With Atalanta sitting only one point inside the top eight, caution may outweigh risk. A 1–1 draw fits.
Three reasons we expect under 2.5 goals in this game
- Atalanta have kept a clean sheet in four of their last six games.
- All the last three Champions League games of Bilbao ended with under 2.5 goals.
- None of the last six games of Atalanta produced more than two goals.
Main prediction Atalanta - Athletic Bilbao
Under 2.5 goals
Best Odds:
22bet
1.89
Atalanta vs Athletic Bilbao standings in Champions League
| League Stage | P | W | D | L |
G - A
|
GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 17 - 1 | +16 | 18 |
| 2 | FC Bayern München | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 18 - 7 | +11 | 15 |
| 3 | Paris Saint Germain | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 19 - 8 | +11 | 13 |
| 4 | Manchester City | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 13 - 9 | +4 | 13 |
| 5 | Atalanta | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 8 - 6 | +2 | 13 |
| 6 | Inter | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 12 - 4 | +8 | 12 |
| 7 | Real Madrid | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 13 - 7 | +6 | 12 |
| 8 | Atlético Madrid | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 15 - 12 | +3 | 12 |
| 9 | Liverpool | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 11 - 8 | +3 | 12 |
| 10 | Borussia Dortmund | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 19 - 13 | +6 | 11 |
| 11 | Tottenham Hotspur | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 13 - 7 | +6 | 11 |
| 12 | Newcastle United | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 - 6 | +7 | 10 |
| 13 | Chelsea | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 - 8 | +5 | 10 |
| 14 | Sporting CP | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 12 - 8 | +4 | 10 |
| 15 | FC Barcelona | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 14 - 11 | +3 | 10 |
| 16 | Olympique Marseille | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 11 - 8 | +3 | 9 |
| 17 | Juventus | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 12 - 10 | +2 | 9 |
| 18 | Galatasaray | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 - 8 | 0 | 9 |
| 19 | Monaco | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 - 8 | -1 | 9 |
| 20 | Bayer 04 Leverkusen | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 10 - 12 | -2 | 9 |
| 21 | PSV | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 15 - 11 | +4 | 8 |
| 22 | Qarabağ | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 - 13 | -3 | 7 |
| 23 | Club Brugge | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 12 - 17 | -5 | 7 |
| 24 | Napoli | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 - 11 | -5 | 7 |
| 25 | FC København | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 - 16 | -6 | 7 |
| 26 | Bodø / Glimt | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 12 - 14 | -2 | 6 |
| 27 | Benfica | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 - 8 | -2 | 6 |
| 28 | Pafos FC | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 - 9 | -5 | 6 |
| 29 | Union Saint-Gilloise | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 - 15 | -8 | 6 |
| 30 | Athletic Club | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 - 9 | -5 | 5 |
| 31 | Olympiacos F.C. | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 - 13 | -7 | 5 |
| 32 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 - 16 | -8 | 4 |
| 33 | Slavia Praha | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 - 11 | -9 | 3 |
| 34 | Ajax | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 - 18 | -13 | 3 |
| 35 | Villarreal | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 - 13 | -9 | 1 |
| 36 | Kairat | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 - 19 | -14 | 1 |