Club Brugge lost to Dortmund, AC Milan and Man City in the last round
Atalanta took 10 points from four trips in the last stage
The visitors won 5-0 at Verona on Saturday
La Dea to take first-leg lead
On paper, this is the biggest mismatch in the first round of Champions League playoffs. Club Brugge secured 24th place on goal difference despite losing 3-1 at Manchester City, while Atalanta finished ninth, a point outside of the top eight.
Brugge had a solid campaign in the league phase, but they did suffer defeats to Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and City. The Belgian side conceded three times in each of those losses and they meet an Atalanta outfit that thumped Verona 5-0 on the road at the weekend.
The visitors were at their best on their travels in Europe this term, taking 10 points from their four league phase away days. La Dea won at Shakhtar, Stuttgart and Young Boys, while they drew 2-2 at Barcelona in their final game.
With a gulf between the two in the standings, Atalanta look well-priced to claim a first-leg lead. The Europa League holders aren’t short on European experience and they have the cutting edge in the final third to see off Brugge.
