In one of the semi-finals of the Europa League, Olympique Marseille will face off against Atalanta. Both teams are performing more than well in the competition and some might say that they even exceeded expectations. Looking at their quarter-final battles and the fact that Liverpool and Benfica were eliminated by them, it is not such a wild thing to say after all.
Olympique Marseille Team News
It has been a curious campaign for Marseille. In the Europa League the team is performing more than admirable and reaching this stage is a testament to that. In Ligue 1, however, inconsistency has been the name of the game all season. All of the team’s 3 prior home games in the elimination phase of the Europa League have seen them win, scoring a total of 9 goals, while conceding just 2. This averages 3 goals per game. Should we delve deeper and look at Marseille’s group stage fixtures as hosts, we can see 2 wins and a draw, a total of 9 goals scored again and 6 conceded. The statistics point to some simple conclusions – Olympique scores quite a lot of goals at home but also tends to concede a fair few. Additionally, they remain undefeated as hosts in the Europa League.
Atalanta Team News
Atalanta managed to achieve an astonishing feat in elimination against Liverpool, who many considered a favourite to win the trophy. Despite Marseille’s formidable home performances, La Dea have proven themselves a team that is not afraid to venture into the lion’s nest and come back with results. Their most recent trip to Anfield is proof of that. Atalanta are a side, whose games also tend to feature higher goal tallies. So far in the knockout stage of the Europa League, the team has failed to score just once – during their second-leg game with Liverpool. Coincidentally, their away trip to Anfield marked the only game in this phase of the tournament where Atalanta managed to keep a clean sheet. In the group stage, all of La Dea’s away games featured over 2.5 goals.
Head-to-Head-Games
Olympique Marseille and Atalanta have never met before and their games from this year’s semi-finals of the Europa League will mark the first time they meet.
Olympique Marseille – Atalanta Betting Prediction
We have a strong host, against a team that is far from being at its worst on trips. While Marseille certainly scores a lot at home, they are also quite prone to leaking goals. Atalanta have shown that they will stand tall and not back down to any opposition as evidenced by their recent elimination of Liverpool. Moreover, their away games in the tournament have proven to be more goal-rich so far. Thus, my pick for this game will be over 2.5 goals. It has the marking of such a game and both teams share a similar profile – that of a side that knows how to score regularly, but also concedes the occasional goal.
Betting Tip: Over 2.5 Goals
Bookmaker: Sportsbet.io
Odds: 1.89
Sportsbet.io
Place your bet on Olympique Marseille – Atalanta at Sportsbet.io