UEFA Champions League: Atalanta vs Arsenal – Where To Watch in US, Preview and Prediction

Premier League heavyweights Arsenal begin their UEFA Champions League journey with a highly-anticipated clash against last season’s UEFA Europa League winners Atalanta. Continue reading to get all the key details about the Matchday 1 tussle.

UEFA Champions League: Atalanta vs Arsenal – Where To Watch In US

Arsenal will travel to Gewiss Stadium in Lombardy, Italy, for their 2024-25 UEFA Champions League opener against Atalanta. The game will kick off at 8 PM BST / 3 PM ET / 12 PM PT on Thursday, September 19.

Unfortunately, the game between Arsenal and Atalanta will not be broadcast on TV. Fans, however, can stream the game live on Paramount+. For a limited time, the streaming service is available for $2.5 / month for 12 months. Please note that it will be billed annually.

Atalanta vs Arsenal: Preview

Form

Atalanta has had a mediocre start to the 2024-25 season. The Lombardy outfit opened with a 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup. In their Serie A opener, Gianpiero Gasperini’s men bounced back with a 4-0 victory over Lecce. Unfortunately for them, the good feeling did not last, as they fell to successive defeats against Torino and Inter Milan. Atalanta broke their two-game losing streak last weekend, bagging a 3-2 win over Fiorentina.

Arsenal, on the other hand, has enjoyed a much better start to the 2024-25 season. Mikel Arteta’s side won their first two Premier League matches before playing out a 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion. They, however, did not let the setback rattle them and bounced back with a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur over the weekend.

Team News

Rafael Toloi (thigh) and Ben Godfrey (back) are likely to miss the clash against Arsenal as they work their way to full fitness. Arsenal’s injury concerns, meanwhile, are much more extensive. Takehiro Tomiyasu, Kieran Tierney, Mikel Merino, and Oleksandr Zinchenko are all expected to miss the trip. Captain Martin Odegaard will also sit this one out as he recovers from his ankle issue.

Head-To-Head

It will be Atalanta and Arsenal’s first meeting in Europe. The Gunners, however, have a poor record in Italy, with them losing their last three matches in the country.

Atalanta vs Arsenal: Prediction

Both Atalanta and Arsenal are potent teams, adept at quick transitions and capable of turning the game on its head in the blink of an eye. Atalanta ace Ademola Lookman is likely to take the fight to the North London outfit, but it will not be easy for him to penetrate their resistance, not with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes at the top of their game.

We predict it will be a hard-fought contest that ultimately finishes in Arsenal’s favor. We are expecting the Gunners to secure a 2-1 win on Thursday.