Atalanta BC and Chelsea lock horns in an intriguing Champions League group-stage clash on Tuesday in Bergamo, with both sides holding identical records after five matchdays of the 2025-26 campaign. Each has claimed 10 points from a possible 15, though the Premier League outfit sit three places higher thanks to a superior goal difference.
Chelsea came into the international break riding high after a clinical 3-0 dismantling of Barcelona at Stamford Bridge, exploiting a red card for Ronald Araujo and capitalising on defensive lapses from the La Liga champions. That victory marked their third win in four Champions League fixtures and strengthened their hopes of finishing in the top eight of the group, with seventh place currently enough to secure direct qualification to the last 16 without a playoff.
The Blues have also enjoyed European success against Serie A sides recently, winning their last three encounters and keeping clean sheets each time. However, Enzo Maresca’s men have struggled domestically since their Barcelona triumph, taking only two points from their last three Premier League games—a sequence that included a 3-1 defeat to Leeds United and a goalless draw with Bournemouth over the weekend.
Atalanta have mirrored Chelsea’s Champions League form, accumulating 10 points from 12 available since opening the group stage with a defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. La Dea have kept three clean sheets, including a 3-0 away win over Eintracht Frankfurt, a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Marseille, and a goalless draw with Slavia Prague.
Despite matching Chelsea on points, Atalanta sit outside the automatic qualification spots in 10th due to a lower goal tally, scoring roughly half as many goals as the Club World Cup holders. A positive result on matchday six could lift them into the top eight. Yet domestic woes continue to trouble Raffaele Palladino’s side, who ended a three-game winning streak across all competitions with a surprising 3-1 Serie A defeat to Hellas Verona on Saturday.
Once famed for their attacking prowess under Gian Piero Gasperini, Atalanta now languish in 12th place in Serie A, but their Champions League exploits have provided a welcome reprieve this season.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Chelsea will welcome back influential midfielder Moises Caicedo for Tuesday’s clash with Atalanta after serving his Premier League suspension, meaning Reece James could be rested for the encounter.
The visitors, however, face several absences. Striker Liam Delap suffered a potentially serious shoulder injury in Saturday’s draw with Bournemouth, joining Romeo Lavia (thigh), Levi Colwill (knee), Dario Essugo (thigh), and Mykhaylo Mudryk (doping suspension) on the sidelines. While Marc Guiu stepped in for Delap over the weekend, Joao Pedro is expected to lead the line on Tuesday, with Cole Palmer also missing due to load management.
Atalanta arrive without fresh injury concerns from their 3-1 defeat to Hellas Verona, but Kamaldeen Sulemana (muscle) and Mitchel Bakker (ACL) remain sidelined. Raffaele Palladino may make some key adjustments following the loss, with Gianluca Scamacca—who scored Atalanta’s consolation in Verona—likely to replace Nikola Krstovic up front.
Ex-Chelsea defender Davide Zappacosta could also miss out on facing his former club from the start, with Nicola Zalewski an alternative option on the left flank.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Carnesecchi; Kossounou, Hien, Djimsiti; Bellanova, Ederson, Pasalic, Zalewski; De Ketelaere, Lookman; Scamacca
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; Gusto, Acheampong, Chalobah, Hato; Caicedo, Santos; Estevao, Fernandez, Neto; Pedro
EXPERT PREDICTION
Atalanta 1-2 Chelsea
