The Blues will be looking to send a message to their Champions League rivals when they travel to face an Atalanta who are in similar form in Europe
Enzo Maresca at a Chelsea press conference
Enzo Maresca at a Chelsea press conference(Image: Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
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With identical records after five rounds of the 2025-26 Champions League, Atalanta BC and Chelsea are set for a compelling league-phase showdown in Bergamo on Tuesday. Both sides have amassed 10 points from a possible 15, but Chelsea hold a three-place advantage over La Dea thanks to their superior goal difference.
The bookies are expecting an exciting clash between the two sides in Italy with Chelsea the ever-so-slight favourites at 6/5 with Betfred while hosts Atalanta are 23/10.
Chelsea made a major statement on matchday five, dismantling Hansi Flick’s Barcelona at Stamford Bridge. Exploiting a disorganized Blaugrana defense and capitalizing on Ronald Araujo’s red card, Enzo Maresca’s men cruised to a 3-0 win over the Spanish champions. That result marked their third victory in four Champions League games and bolstered their push for a top-eight finish.
Currently seventh in the standings, Chelsea are well-positioned for direct entry into the last 16, potentially avoiding the playoff round, though their place is not yet guaranteed. The Blues head to Bergamo with confidence, having kept clean sheets in each of their last three European matches against Serie A opponents.
However, since their emphatic win over Barcelona, the Conference League holders have struggled domestically, collecting just two points from their last three Premier League fixtures—a disappointing stretch that includes a 3-1 loss to Leeds United and a goalless draw with Bournemouth.
Atalanta have matched Chelsea’s Champions League form, earning 10 points from their last four games after an opening defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, and have kept three clean sheets along the way. Under Raffaele Palladino, Atalanta recently recorded an impressive 3-0 victory at Eintracht Frankfurt, following a hard-fought 1-0 win at Marseille and a stalemate with Slavia Prague.
Despite sharing Chelsea’s points total, Atalanta have scored only half as many goals as the Club World Cup winners and currently sit 10th—just outside the automatic qualification spots. A strong result on Tuesday could see them break into the top eight.
Like their English visitors, Atalanta enter matchday six following a domestic setback, as their three-game winning streak was snapped by a 3-1 defeat to Hellas Verona in Serie A. Once famed for their attacking prowess under Gian Piero Gasperini, Atalanta now find themselves in 12th place in the league, but their Champions League campaign has provided a welcome reprieve this season.
Atalanta vs Chelsea team news
Chelsea are currently without the influential Moises Caicedo in the Premier League due to suspension, but the Ecuadorian midfielder will be available for the upcoming clash with Atalanta. As a result, it would not be surprising to see Reece James given a rest. On a less positive note, striker Liam Delap suffered a potentially serious shoulder injury during Saturday’s draw with Bournemouth, joining Romeo Lavia (thigh), Levi Colwill (knee), Dario Essugo (thigh), and Mykhaylo Mudryk (doping suspension) on the list of absentees for the visitors.
Notably, Marc Guiu was called upon to replace Delap over the weekend, but Joao Pedro is expected to lead the line on Tuesday, with Cole Palmer also set to miss out for load management reasons.
Atalanta, meanwhile, emerged from their defeat to Hellas Verona without any new injury concerns, though Kamaldeen Sulemana (muscle) and Mitchel Bakker (ACL) remain sidelined. After Saturday’s disappointing performance, manager Palladino faces some key selection decisions for Tuesday’s match. One likely change is Gianluca Scamacca—who scored Atalanta’s only goal in Verona—replacing Nikola Krstovic up front. Former Chelsea defender Davide Zappacosta may also miss out on a reunion with his old club, with Nicola Zalewski a possible alternative on the left flank.
Atalanta vs Chelsea Predictions
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