In-depth Analysis
Atalanta, currently the only remaining representative of Serie A in European competitions this season, has made a strong mark in recent years with an impressive record on the continental stage. However, apart from their 4-1 home victory over Dortmund last month, the Nerazzurri have been inconsistent, suffering six defeats in their last seven knockout matches.
Since that win against Dortmund, signs of a slowdown have appeared in coach Raffaele Palladino’s squad. Right after being named Serie A’s Coach of the Month for February, Atalanta collected just one point from two domestic league matches and drew 2-2 with Lazio in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semifinals. Their first Serie A defeat of 2026, against a Sassuolo side reduced to 10 men, severely dented their faint hopes of reaching the top four, before they slipped again against Udinese last weekend.
Back in European competition, Atalanta will face their toughest challenge yet when they meet Bayern Munich for the first time – a club that has won three of their previous 14 encounters with German opponents.
Bayern Munich are in outstanding form this season, recording 35 wins and only two defeats from 40 matches across all competitions. The six-time European champions have only lost once, to Arsenal, in UEFA’s most prestigious tournament. Traditionally, Bayern tend to step up in early knockout rounds, winning 10 and losing just one of their last 12 Round of 16 matches.
The Bavarian giants also hold the highest goals-per-game ratio in Champions League knockout history. Their explosive scoring form this season suggests they can continue this trend. With a total of 92 goals in the Bundesliga, Bayern are just nine goals shy of the all-time single-season scoring record, with 11 rounds still to play. Additionally, Vincent Kompany’s side has won their last six matches across all competitions.