UEFA Champions League: Bayern Munich vs. Benfica Preview, Odds, Prediction

Manchester United heads for Bergamo to meet with Atalanta in the fourth round of the UEFA Champions League. The two sides faced two weeks ago, and the Red Devils pulled off one of the biggest comebacks this year, triumphing following a 0-2 deficit at halftime. That was a huge blow for the Italians who wanted to get even with the English powerhouse. La Deal escaped death in the last seconds of the match against Lazio, while United trashed Tottenham on the road, meaning that both sides come into this matchup with high morale.

Preview

Atalanta (+180) squeezed out a 2-2 draw against Lazio on Sunday, scoring both goals in the last seconds of the first and the second halftime. Even though many expected La Dea to win this one, we need to mention that Lazio has quite a solid team.

This was the third in a row for the club from Bergamo in which they haven’t lost. Overall, their record in the past 10 matches s five wins, three draws, and two defeats, one against Machester and the second vs. AC Milan in Serie A.

Eight of the previous nine matches Atalanta played were with both teams to score, while seven ended with over 2.5 goals. La Dea is playing open and efficient football, and we already stated that in the preview for the game at Old Trafford.

Manchester United (+140) eventually kept Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the managerial position, even though he suffered one of the most devastating losses in recent history. We are talking about 0-5 humiliation against Liverpool.

Yet, the Red Devils bounced back, beating Tottenham on the road, 0-3. That wasn’t because of their superb performances, but mostly because of Ronaldo and Cavani, whose individual quality was decisive. United defended and eventually fined a gap in the Spurs’ backline. When Solskjaer’s team needs to dictate the tempo and attack, that is a problem.

Manchester plays efficient games lately, as five of the previous six ended with over 2.5 goals. The problem is that the Red Devils have just one clean sheet in the latest 10 games, which was against Tottenham.

Latest News

Djimsiti, Hatebouer, Gosens, and Pessina are out for the hosts, with various injuries.

Meanwhile, Diallo and Martial are questionable for United, the same as Cavani, who picked up an injury against the Spurs.

Head to Head Games

The first match saw a pure rhapsody for Atalanta in the opening half an hour. Pasalic and Demiral scored a goal each to lift the guests to 0-2. But United was more than aggressive and stubborn, which brought them a massive win. One by one, Rashford, Maguire, and Ronaldo netted for Manchester’s first win of the UCL campaign.

Prediction

Atalanta will attack, and United will defend, waiting for the counter-attacks. That is Solskjaer’s usual tactics on the road. The hosts have to win, and they have nothing to wait for, which is why we expect to see them being aggressive and ultra-offensive right from the start. Therefore, over 2.5 goals is our choice here. Both teams to score might be added by those who want to increase the odds.

Pick: Over 2.5 goals -200

 

Here are the previews for other UEFA Champions League matches:

• Bayern Munich vs. Benfica
• Borussia Dortmund vs. Ajax
• Wolfsburg vs. Red Bull Salzburg
• Liverpool vs. Atletico Madrid