Atalanta have a good chance to secure a spot in the top eight of the Champions League this season with a win against Sturm Graz at home.
Currently sitting in 13th place with 11 points from six games, Atalanta is just two points behind several teams positioned between third and eighth place in the standings.
On the other hand, Sturm Graz from Austria is positioned at the 29th spot in the table with only three points to their name.
Team news
Gianluca Scamacca and Odilon Kossounou will be missing for Atalanta, while Juan Cuadrado is uncertain for the upcoming match.
Sturm Graz has seen departures of Mika Biereth to Monaco and Jusuf Gazibegovic to Cologne during the January transfer window. Max Johnston and Seedy Jatta are likely to miss the trip to Italy due to injuries.
Amady Camara and Kjell Scherpen are expected to play after proving their fitness in recent friendly matches.
The stats
Atalanta has secured victories in the Champions League against Shakhtar Donetsk, Stuttgart, and Young Boys, all in away matches.
However, Atalanta has not won any of their last five games in all competitions.
Sturm Graz has faced five defeats in six games, with their only win coming against Girona. They have scored only four goals in the competition.
Three of Sturm Graz's losses have been without scoring a goal.
Prediction
Atalanta has shown strength in their away games in the Champions League, scoring 11 goals in three matches and keeping their hopes alive for a top-eight finish.
With a crucial final game against Barcelona looming, Atalanta understands the significance of winning at home against Sturm Graz.
Having narrowly lost to Real Madrid in their last match, Atalanta will be eager to end their five-game winless streak in all competitions.
Considering the current form, Atalanta is expected to outperform Sturm Graz, who are struggling in the competition with only three points so far.
Sturm Graz has played a few friendlies during the winter break, with mixed results, and they face a challenging task in the upcoming match.
A comfortable 2-0 victory for Atalanta seems probable in this encounter.