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Atalanta and Pafos FC get their 2026-27 Conference League campaign underway when they go head to head at the Gewiss Stadium on Thursday. Having featured in the Champions League last season, both sides have taken two steps down in UEFA competitions this season and they will be aiming to go all the way in Europe’s third-tier club competition.
Read our Atalanta vs Pafos FC preview, while you can also find more of our expert predictions on today's betting tips page.
Atalanta vs Pafos FC key stats
- Atalanta are unbeaten in four of their home games this season, picking up three wins and one draw so far.
- Pafos are on a run of four consecutive away victories since a 1-1 stalemate with Dinamo City on August 20.
- Atalanta have opened the scoring in five of their last seven games, but they are without a clean sheet in four consecutive games.
Atalanta vs Pafos FC Preview: Both sides aiming for a dream start to European quest
Atalanta vs Pafos FC — Tale of the Tape
| Atalanta | vs | Pafos FC |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (Italian Serie A) | Position | 4th (Cyprus 1st. Division) |
| 9 | Points | 10 |
| 8 | Goals For | 7 |
| 8 | Goals Against | 3 |
| 1 | Clean Sheets | 3 |
| 10th | Home / Away Rank | 1st |
After weeks of mediocre results, Atalanta returned to winning ways in the Italian Serie A on Monday as they defeated newly-promoted Venezia 3-1 when the two sides squared off at the Gewiss Stadium.
Eljif Elmas’ late red card added to the drama, but the damage had already been done in the first half, with a brace from Nikola Krstovic and Franck Kessie’s fourth-minute opener putting the hosts in a commanding three-goal lead, before Antoine Hainaut pulled one back for the visitors in the 37th minute.
Ahead of kickstarting their journey on the continental scene, this was a timely boost for Maurizio Sarri’s men, who had lost each of their three league matches, suffering defeats against AS Roma, Cagliari and Juventus while conceding six goals and conceding twice.
Seven months on since featuring in the Champions League round of 16, where they suffered a 10-2 aggregate mauling at the hands of Bayern Munich, Atalanta find themselves in the Conference League, dropping down two steps in UEFA competitions after finishing seventh in the Serie A standings last season.
Atalanta still had to get the job done in the Conference League qualifying playoffs back in August, where a goalless draw against Hapoel Tel Aviv at the Gewiss Stadium was followed by a 1-0 victory over the Israeli outfit in the return leg seven days later to complete a 1-0 aggregate victory.
Having suffered their first defeat of the season on September 18, when they were beaten 2-0 by AEK Larnaca, Pafos returned to winning ways with a resilient team display on Sunday when they fought back from behind to secure a 3-1 victory over Anorthosis Famagusta in the Cyprus 1st Division.
Alessio Da Cruz netted on the stroke of half time to hand Anorthosis Famagusta a first-half lead, but the visitors upped the ante after the break, with a brace from Brazilian forward Lele and Yoram Zague’s 46th-minute strike turning the game on its head within 11 minutes.
Coming off the back of making a first UEFA Champions League appearance last season, Pafos have taken two steps down this term as they get underway in the Conference League, returning to the competition since the 2024-25 campaign, when they made it all the way to the quarter-finals before suffering a 3-1 aggregate defeat at the hands of Djurgarden.
Having suffered a narrow 4-3 loss against Austrian powerhouse RB Salzburg in the Europa League third qualifying round in August, Ricardo Sa Pinto’s men dropped to the Conference League qualifying race, where they secured a 5-3 aggregate win over Dinamo City in the playoffs to seal a second appearance in Europe’s third-tier club competition.
While Pafos now get their campaign underway at the Gewiss Stadium, where a stern challenge awaits against an Atalanta side with three wins from their last four games, a run of four wins from their last four away games will offer plenty of optimism ahead of the trip to Italy.
Atalanta vs Pafos FC form guide & betting tips
| Atalanta | vs | Pafos FC |
|---|---|---|
| WLLLW | Form | WDWLW |
| 6 | Goals For | 5 |
| 7 | Goals Against | 3 |
Whispers predicts: Atalanta 3-1 Pafos FC
Atalanta arrested their slump with an impressive team display against Venezia at the weekend, and while a sterner challenge against a Pafos side now awaits, we are backing them to carry the day in front of their home supporters, which is currently priced at 9/25 (1.36) by the bookmakers.
Sarri’s men have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last four games, and BTTS – Yes at 4/5 (1.80) to score is another favourable point, while over 2.5 goals at 53/10 (1.53) is our third pick of the game.
Atalanta to win + BTTS – Yes at 187/100 (2.87) is a safe high-value option, while the correct score market has a correct score of 3-1 at 10/1 (11.00).
> Atalanta to win + BTTS – Yes at 187/100 (2.87) | Likelihood: Possible
> Goal range – 2-4 goals at 57/100 (1.57) | Likelihood: Possible
> Correct score: 3-1 at 10/1 (11.00) | Likelihood: Outsider