On Wednesday, September 17, Paris Saint-Germain will face Atalanta at the Parc des Princes (kick-off at 9 pm, CET) for the first matchday of the 2025-2026 UEFA Champions League. And as with every match, here is a preview of the Parisians’ opponent.
Atalanta’s current situation –
Atalanta has entered a new era, as the iconic coach Gian Piero Gasperini left for AS Roma after 9 years at the club, a period marked by strong team spirit and impressive performances, including a Champions League quarter-final against PSG in 2020. They also won the Europa League in 2024. Last season, Atalanta finished 3rd in Serie A, 8 points behind Napoli (1st).
Ivan Juric’s mission is to continue this positive momentum. The start of the season has been mixed, with 7th place in the standings after 2 draws (against Pisa and Parma) and 1 win (against Lecce). It should be noted that he was not helped by the departure of Mateo Retegui, nor by the transfer saga involving Ademola Lookman, who ultimately returned to Bergamo.
The 2025 summer transfer window –
Source: Transfermarkt
Departures:
Arrivals:
Key statistics –
This season, Atalanta has one of the 3rd best attacks in Serie A, with 6 goals scored (Inter, who are first, have 9, and the teams with the fewest goals scored have 1). They also have one of the 3rd best defenses, conceding 3 goals (Napoli and AS Roma have the best defenses, conceding 1 goal each, while Lecce and Inter, who are last, have conceded 6).
Atalanta’s top scorer is Marcus Thuram (29-year-old striker), with 14 goals, placing him 5th in the league standings (Mateo Retegui leads Serie A with 25 goals). Federico Dimarco (27-year-old left-back) is the club’s top assist provider with 7 assists, ranking him 7th in Serie A (Romelu Lukaku leads with 10 assists).
Atalanta’s last 5 matches –
Only Atalanta’s possession statistics are shown, and Atalanta’s shots are listed first (when data is available).
10/08/2025 (Friendly) – Atalanta/Opatija: 3-3. 3-4-2-1 formation. 28% possession. 13 shots (7 on target) vs. 22 shots (10 on target)
16/08/2025 (Friendly) – Atalanta/Juventus: 1-2. 3-4-2-1 formation. 46% possession. 11 shots (6 on target) vs. 13 shots (5 on target)
24/08/2025 (Serie A) – Atalanta/Pisa: 1-1. 3-4-2-1 formation. 66% possession. 21 shots (6 on target) vs. 11 shots (2 on target)
30/08/2025 (Serie A) – Parma/Atalanta: 1-1. 3-4-2-1 formation. 54% possession. 11 shots (3 on target) vs. 7 shots (3 on target)
14/09/2025 (Serie A) – Atalanta/Lecce: 4-1. 3-4-2-1 formation. 57% possession. 19 shots (8 on target) vs. 12 shots (3 on target)
The squad:
Unavailable – Bakker, Ederson, Kolasinac, Scamacca (injuries), Lookman (manager’s decision).
The probable starting lineup in a 3-4-2-1 formation:
Krstovic
Maldini – De Ketelaere
Zalewski – Pasalic – De Roon – Bellanova
Djimsiti – Hien – Scalvini
Carnesecchi
Atalanta’s style of play:
This might be an opportunity for PSG, who recently played against a Lens team with a very similar style and approach: an aggressive, high-pressing style of football, aiming to control possession while also looking to exploit opportunities to attack quickly. This could lead to a high-tempo match, reflecting Gasperini’s philosophy.
This style of play, also employed by Juric, does have some potential defensive weaknesses. It remains to be seen whether Atalanta will choose to adapt their approach, playing more cautiously, or whether they will continue to press PSG high up the field.
