Atalanta v Valencia: Champions League last 16 betting preview & free tip

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Atalanta v Valencia in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Where to watch

BT Sport 3, 8pm Wednesday

Best bet

Atalanta
3pts 3-4 Betfred, Sky Bet
Back this tip with Coral

Team news

Atalanta
Gian Piero Gasperini has a near fully-fit squad with Bosko Sutalo the only injury concern.

Valencia
Key defenders Gabriel (suspended) and Ezequiel Garay (knee) will not feature for the visitors.

Match preview

Atalanta's underdog status in the Champions League is emphasised by the fact they cannot use their own stadium in the competition but they can show they are no minnows by beating an experienced Valencia outfit at the San Siro.

The Serie A side's Atleti Azzurri d'Italia home is not up to Uefa standards but they looked comfortable at their temporary Milan base in the group stage, holding Manchester City to a 1-1 draw and beating Dinamo Zagreb 2-0.

Those results helped them to sneak through a section they did not look like getting out of and they go into their last-16 clash on a run of three wins in their last four games, including a 7-0 mauling of Torino.

They are clear top scorers in Serie A with 63 goals, more than Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus (46) and a Lazio team (55) featuring the division's top scorer Ciro Immobile.

They can boast two players with double-figure goal tallies in the league in Josip Ilicic (14) and Luis Muriel (12), while Duvan Zapata has scored nine times in all competitions despite missing most of the first half of the season through injury.

Aware they have been dealt a softer hand in the last 16, Gian Piero Gasperini's men will play on the front foot to establish an early advantage, which is bad news for an out-of-sorts and injury-hit Valencia.

Los Che have lost to the likes of Mallorca, Granada and Getafe since the start of the year, as well as drawing 0-0 with third-tier Cultural Leonesa in the Copa del Rey.

The absences of key defenders Gabriel and Ezequiel Garay will not do the Spaniards any favours and they could have plenty of work to do when they go back to the Mestalla.

Key stat

Valencia have won only three of their 11 away games in La Liga this season.

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