Atalanta blew a 1-0 lead to lose 3-2 at home to Athletic Club, jeopardising their Champions League qualification hopes. Betting take: punters should be wary backing Atalanta to protect leads — Athletic’s counter-attacking threat and Atalanta’s defensive lapses make Asian handicap or Draw No Bet on Athletic, and markets like Over 2.5 goals or Both Teams to Score, sensible value plays.
Atalanta collapse at home as Athletic Club stage stunning second-half turnaround
Atalanta dominated the first half in Bergamo, taking the lead through Gianluca Scamacca’s header, but a catastrophic second-half meltdown saw Athletic Club turn the game on its head with three quick goals from Gorka Guruzeta, Nico Serrano and Robert Navarro to secure a 3-2 win. Nikola Krstovic’s late strike gave Atalanta hope, but it proved merely a consolation.
Match timeline and decisive moments
Scamacca opened the scoring from a Nicola Zalewski cross after Atalanta controlled the early exchanges. Charles De Ketelaere hit the post before half-time as La Dea looked comfortable. Athletic’s equaliser arrived just after the interval when Guruzeta finished calmly after a long ball and knockdown. Substitutes Serrano and Navarro then exploited defensive lapses to put Athletic 3-1 up inside the final half-hour. Krstovic reduced the deficit in the 88th minute, but Atalanta could not complete a comeback.
Key statistics
Possession heavily favoured Atalanta (around 70% to 30%), but Athletic were far more clinical: more overall shots and a superior conversion rate. Atalanta produced the greater share of chances but paid for defensive concentration lapses and poor reaction to fast transitions.
Tactical analysis
Atalanta’s 4-3-3 control of possession exposed Athletic’s squad limitations for long periods, yet Athletico’s direct play and pace on the break proved decisive.
Defensive errors — including missed clearances and poor marking at set plays and crosses — allowed Athletic to score twice from quick transitions.
Ademola Lookman’s return injected attacking energy late, but it was too little, too late to change the result.
Squad context and availability
Scamacca’s return to fitness was a boost for Atalanta, with Lookman making his first appearance of 2026 from the bench. Atalanta missed Raoul Bellanova through injury and Giacomo Raspadori was ineligible. Athletic suffered a long injury list leading into the game but still managed an effective counter-attacking display.
Champions League implications
The defeat puts Atalanta’s top-eight qualification prospects in doubt, eroding momentum after a promising run that included recent wins in the group. Athletic’s win lifts their standing and confidence despite earlier struggles in the campaign.
Betting implications and what punters should note
This result highlights Atalanta’s vulnerability to counter-attacks and their tendency to concede after dominating possession. Punters should be cautious backing Atalanta to protect leads or keep clean sheets.
Markets to consider: Asian handicap in favour of Athletic, Draw No Bet on Athletic in away fixtures, Both Teams to Score and Over 2.5 goals given the defensive openings, and looking for value on in-play markets when Atalanta stalls in the second half.
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