No Kane, no Neuer! How Bayern start against Atalanta | OneFootball

FC Bayern kick off their Champions League round of 16 tie against Atalanta Bergamo in just under an hour’s time. We bring you the starting line-ups for the game

After FC Bayern celebrated a well-deserved 4-1 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach last weekend in the Bundesliga, Atalanta Bergamo await them in the Champions League this Tuesday. Coach Vincent Kompany will be fielding almost his full squad against the Dortmund shockers, but will be without two key players

Bergamo had staged a strong comeback in the play-off round after a 2-0 defeat in Dortmund, beating BVB 4-1 in the second leg. Even though the Italians are still regarded as clear outsiders, five wins from their last six games at the New Balance Arena give them hope of another miracle

Jackson replaces Kane

Jonas Urbig will once again be in goal for Manuel Neuer, who is still not in the squad. Jonathan Tah and Dayot Upamecano will start in front of him in central defence, with Konrad Laimer and Josip Stanisic starting on the defensive flanks.

In central midfield, Kompany will rely on the tried-and-tested duo of Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović, with Michael Olise starting on the right, Luis Díaz on the left and Serge Gnabry in the playmaker position. Harry Kane will be replaced by Nicolas Jackson, as he was on Friday.

Manuel Neuer and Hiroki Ito will also miss out, with both currently suffering from torn muscle fibers.

Kompany expects intense duel

Coach Vincent Kompany warned of the quality of the Italians ahead of the match and expects an intense duel

„We’re playing against a physically strong team. There are similarities to the game in Dortmund – they have a back three in possession with deep runs from the wingers. But the way they put pressure on us is what Atalanta have done for years.“

The Bayern coach also emphasized that Atalanta have a lot of international experience

„They now have the experience in Europe too – they won convincingly against strong Leverkusen. They are not an easy opponent, not someone you can underestimate.“

Nevertheless, Kompany also sees his own strengths: „Every expert knows that it can be an interesting duel. But we also have our strengths and are aware that it’s a strong Italian team we’re playing against.“

Overview of the line-ups

Atalanta Bergamo (probable): Carnesecchi – Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac – Zappacosta, de Roon, Pasalic, Bernasconi – Zalewski, Samardzic – Scamacca

FC Bayern: Urbig – Stanisic, Upamecano, Tah, Laimer – Kimmich, Pavlovic – Olise, Gnabry, Díaz – Jackson