Real Madrid vs Atalanta Odds & Prediction – Champions League Round of 16 Leg 2

• Real Madrid and Atalanta matchup for the second leg of their Champions League tie on March 16th
• Real Madrid won the first leg 1-0 and head into the second match as heavy favorites
• Get the latest odds, betting preview and a pick below

Real Madrid and Atalanta play the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie on March 16th 2021. Atalanta suffered defeat in their home leg, putting them out at +275 to progress. Having seen Barcelona and Juventus fall last week, Real Madrid will be hoping to avoid the same fate on Tuesday. This tie is far from over despite the significance of that away goal.

Atalanta is among the best attacking teams in world football. They are equipped to overturn this deficit, and Real Madrid’s recent form is hardly impressive. The 13-time European champions needed a last-gasp Karim Benzema goal to beat Elche at the weekend.

Real Madrid vs Atalanta Odds

All odds taken Mar 14 at DraftKings

Real Dominate First Leg

Although they had to wait until the last few minutes for a break through, Real Madrid were in complete control throughout the first leg. An early red card for Remo Freuler made it Real’s game to lose. They had almost 70% possession, and restricted Atalanta to just two shots. Gian Piero Gasperini will have been relatively pleased to lose by just one goal given the circumstances, but there’s no denying this is a massive uphill battle for the Italian side.

Real have gone unbeaten in their last eight home matches. The performances haven’t always been impressive, but Los Blancos has found a way to get results this season. They will be without Casemiro on Tuesday, however, after the Brazilian midfielder picked up a yellow card in the first leg. Zinedine Zidane obviously has the squad depth to compensate for Casemiro’s absence, but it leaves a bit of uncertainty in front of the defense.

https://twitter.com/blancoslive/status/1370793303101337612

Never really in the first leg, Atalanta will still be confident ahead of the second leg. They have lost just two matches away from home all season. Ranking top of Serie A in expected goals, this attack has the firepower to get the two goals they need to book a place in the quarter-finals.

Atalanta Look To Replicate Domestic Form

Atalanta have underwhelmed in the Champions League. After capturing neutrals last season, the Italian side have struggled to have the same impact this time round. Their 10 goals scored in the competition this season does not represent their attacking prowess. No team has scored more goals than them in Serie A. They have failed to score in just three league matches this season.

Luis Muriel and Duvan Zapata lead the goal scoring charts. Gasperini could start both up front after Duvan Zapata came off the bench at the weekend. With Casemiro out, Josip Ilicic has a key role to play as a creator behind the front two. His impact in the Champions League has been minimal, but the 33-year-old Slovenian is second in Serie A in expected assists.

Alla ricerca del prossimo tracciante 🔎 9 assist stagionali per El Profesor! 👨🏼‍🏫

Looking for the perfect pass 👀 Josip #Iličić provided his 9th assist in all competitions! 💪🏼
⠀#GoAtalantaGo ⚫️🔵 pic.twitter.com/EK1KmNjZYF

— Atalanta B.C. (@Atalanta_BC) March 14, 2021

Atalanta have been unable to replicate their domestic form in the Champions League thus far. Real Madrid will be desperate to keep this game at a slow pace and congested in midfield. How quickly Atalanta are able to attack will be pivotal to the outcome of this match.

Gasperini’s side are far and away the leaders in progressive passes in Serie A – how effectively will Real be able to limit space for Ilicic?

Real Madrid vs Atalanta Champions League Statistics

Best Bets

Over 2.5 goals has hit in 63% of Atalanta’s matches this season. It’s usually a pretty safe bet, and while they have struggled to score in the Champions League, it’s a worthwhile wager again here. Atalanta have no choice but to chase the game, which should result in plenty of opportunities for both teams to score.

Zapata continues to get chances at a great rate, ranking in the top 10 in expected goals in Serie A. He’s only scored once in his last six, but that shouldn’t put bettors off backing him to score any time at +188.

Having come up big for Real at the weekend, Karim Benzema to score any time at +115 is a good bet, too. The Frenchman has scored in his last four appearances.

Pick: Over 2.5 total goals (-141)