Atalanta vs Sturm Graz predictions: Comfortable home win likely
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- Atalanta are 13th in Champions League standings
- Sturm Graz sit down in 29th place
- Recommended bet: Atalanta to win 2-0
Atalanta are among several clubs still in with a chance of making the top eight in the Champions League this season and they can enhance their prospects with a routine home win over Sturm Graz.
La Dea are 13th having picked up 11 points from their first six games, but they are just two points adrift of six clubs who sit between third and eighth in a very competitive table.
Austrian outfit Sturm Graz are heading for an early exit as they are 29th in the standings with just three points on the board so far.
Team news
Gianluca Scamacca and Odilon Kossounou remain absent for Atalanta, while Juan Cuadrado is a major doubt for Tuesday's tie.
Sturm Graz have lost Mika Biereth to Monaco and Jusuf Gazibegovic to Cologne in the January transfer window, while Max Johnston and Seedy Jatta are likely to be absent for the trip to Italy due to injury.
Amady Camara and Kjell Scherpen could feature, though, after proving their fitness in recent friendly games.
The stats
Atalanta's three victories in the Champions League this season have all come away from home against Shakhtar Donetsk, Stuttgart and Young Boys.
Atalanta have failed to win any of their last five games in all competitions.
Only five teams have scored more goals than the Serie A side's total of 13 in the league phase.
Sturm Graz have suffered five defeats from their six games, with their solitary win coming against Girona and have only scored four goals in the competition this season.
Three of Sturm Graz's five defeats in the Champions League have been to nil.
Prediction
Atalanta have been impressive in their away fixtures in the competition, racking up 11 goals in three games and those results mean they are still in with a chance of making the top eight.
However, with a tough final game to come at Barcelona next week, the Italian side will be aware of the importance of picking up a home victory over Sturm Graz.
Gian Piero Gasperini's men ran reigning European champions Real Madrid close on Matchday Six, losing 3-2 at home, leaving them in need of a win, having gone five matches in all competitions without a victory.
They should be a cut above their Austrian opponents, who are staring at an early exit from the competition as they have earned just three points so far.
Sturm Graz have played four friendlies since their last competitive outing – the 3-2 Matchday Six defeat to Lille – due to the winter break domestically, but they have only won one of those games ahead of Tuesday's difficult clash.
A comfortable home win looks likely with 2-0 in the correct score market appealing.
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