Amongst some domestic troubles, Manchester City’s start in the UEFA Champions League could hardly have gotten off to a better start. Comfortable wins over Dinamo Zagreb and Shakhtar Donetsk have given them the perfect platform to finish top of the group, but Atalanta won’t be an easy test.
The Serie A side have 21 goals in eight league games this season – making them the division’s highest scorers – but have conceded an unimpressive 13. They come to the Etihad in third place in their league, but rock bottom of the European group after losses to Shakhtar Donetsk and, in embarrassing fashion, Dinamo Zagreb.
Team News
Has Oleksandr Zinchenko really had the best engagement party of all time, or is it actually just a cold? We don’t know which rumours to believe, but either way he looks to be out of Tuesday’s game. Leroy Sané and Aymeric Laporte are still some way off returning, but other than that the Manchester City squad is available and ready to go, including defenders John Stones, Nicolas Otamendi and Kyle Walker.
The big news for Atalanta is that star man Duvan Zapata isn’t expected to be fit. The Colombian was one of the best strikers in Italy last season and has started this campaign on fire, but is injured. Simon Kjaer and José Luis Palomino also miss out through injury – giving the Italian side some worrying problems in defence.
Head to Head Record
Manchester City have never faced Atalanta in a competitive match before, but have taken on fellow Italian sides Napoli, Roma, Juventus and AC Milan. You may remember Atalanta demolishing Everton 5-1 at Goodison Park in 2017, their only previous meeting with an English side.
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