- 1 Atalanta vs Hapoel Tel-Aviv: Bergamo are back at rock bottom in Europe
- 2 Atalanta: the quality is there, the match sharpness is not
- 3 Hapoel Tel-Aviv: four rounds in their legs and a real scoring threat
- 4 Conference League prediction Atalanta vs Hapoel Tel-Aviv
- 5 First, a word on our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your role
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the visuals…
Atalanta vs Hapoel Tel-Aviv: Bergamo are back at rock bottom in Europe 
Two years after lifting the Europa League, Atalanta find themselves in a Conference League play-off. The drop-off is brutal.
The Bergamo club were still in the Champions League last season. A poor Serie A campaign has dumped them into Europe’s third-tier competition, and into the play-offs as well.
The first leg takes place on Thursday at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo. It comes just three days before the Italian league kicks off again, with the opening weekend set for 22 and 23 August.
Atalanta begin their Serie A season against Sassuolo, so this is their first competitive match of the campaign.
Hapoel Tel-Aviv arrive in a very different state of match sharpness. The Israeli club have already played four European qualifying games this summer.
They first knocked out Ludogorets 4-2 on aggregate in the second qualifying round. Then they edged GKS Katowice 3-2, winning 2-0 in the first leg before losing 2-1 in Poland.
The second leg will be played on neutral ground at DVTK Stadium in Miskolc, Hungary, on 27 August. That’s another handicap for the Israelis, who lose the one real edge they would normally have at home.
The winner goes straight into the Conference League group stage. The loser is out of Europe for the rest of the season.
The schedule also leaves Bergamo with a nasty time crunch. This first leg comes only three days before their opening Serie A fixture.
For Hapoel Tel-Aviv, reaching the group stage would be a major step. They’ve already cleared two rounds to get here.
Atalanta: the quality is there, the match sharpness is not 
Atalanta returned to training on 6 July, with medical testing and physical assessment opening pre-season. Six weeks later, they go straight into a do-or-die tie.
The contrast with their opponents is obvious. While Hapoel have been grinding through four knockout ties, Bergamo have only played friendlies.
Even so, their recent record tells you exactly what level this club have reached. Europa League winners in 2024, Atalanta spent several seasons among Europe’s elite.
Their individual quality is still miles ahead of Hapoel’s. Over one home game, that gap in resources should show.
Still, the context works against a rout. The first competitive game of the season is rarely played at full tilt, especially with Serie A starting again three days later.
Squad management will be a real issue for the Bergamo staff. Back-to-back matches in Europe and then league duty four days apart will force some calls.
The aim is clear: build a lead big enough at the New Balance Arena to go to the neutral second leg in Hungary with real control.
Pre-season has passed without a single meaningful game. Six weeks of work, then a European play-off to restart the season.
The New Balance Arena is a genuine asset in this kind of tie. Atalanta have built most of their European runs there in recent seasons.
The job for Atalanta is simple: kill the tie on Thursday. A return leg in Hungary on neutral ground means there is no point messing about.
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Hapoel Tel-Aviv: four rounds in their legs and a real scoring threat 
The Israeli club have scored in all four of their European matches this summer. That is the most telling number in their run.
In the second qualifying round, they beat Ludogorets 2-0 at home before earning a 2-2 draw in Bulgaria. That made it 4-2 on aggregate against a seasoned continental side.
The third round was tighter. They beat GKS Katowice 2-0, then lost 2-1 in Poland, but still went through 3-2.
That tie showed both sides of this team. Dangerous when they can play on their own ground, but shakier when they have to protect a result away from home.
This play-off forces them to start with a trip to Italy. And the return leg will not be in familiar surroundings either, but in Miskolc.
Across four European games, Hapoel have conceded four goals. The defence is solid, if not completely watertight against stronger attacks.
The main strength is their attacking consistency: two goals scored in each of their three wins or draws in Europe. They do not sit back and hope for the best.
The Israeli club have already beaten two qualifying rounds to reach this point, so they come in with proper match rhythm that Atalanta simply do not have.
Their biggest asset is the ability to score in almost any setting. None of their four European matches have ended without them finding the net.
Even so, the neutral venue for the second leg in Miskolc weighs heavily. Hapoel Tel-Aviv will play both legs away from their usual home base.
Probable Atalanta line-up: Not available at the time of publication.
Probable Hapoel Tel-Aviv line-up: Not available at the time of publication.
Conference League prediction Atalanta vs Hapoel Tel-Aviv
Our prediction: Atalanta win with a -1.5 handicap
Atalanta were in the Champions League last season and won the Europa League in 2024, while tonight’s opponents have battled through two qualifying rounds the hard way. The gap in quality between the two squads is hard to argue with.
Hapoel Tel-Aviv have also shown their limits away from home, losing 2-1 in Katowice, and this is a much tougher trip. With the second leg to be played on neutral ground in Hungary, Bergamo have every reason to make their move in the first leg.
Atalanta to win by at least two goals.
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