Atalanta vs Pafos: Atalanta Missing Five Players
Published
Atalanta host Pafos in the UEFA Europa Conference League on Thursday, 15 October 2026, at New Balance Arena in Bergamo, dealing with five confirmed injuries ahead of their opening league stage fixture.
Five Atalanta players ruled out through injury
The home side enter Matchweek 1 with significant selection constraints. Giorgio Scalvini, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Odilon Kossounou, Raoul Bellanova, and Thomas Pompei are all ruled out through injury. In addition to those confirmed absences, both Franck Kessié and Isak Hien remain doubtful due to fitness concerns.
Despite those squad issues, Atalanta secured a 3-1 home victory against Venezia in Serie A on 12 October 2026. That result halted a three-match losing sequence in domestic play, which included a 0-2 loss away at Juventus on 20 September, a 1-2 home defeat to Cagliari on 12 September, and a 1-2 reverse away at AS Roma on 5 September. Nikola Krstović serves as their primary goal threat, having scored three goals across all competitions this season. Over their last five games with chance data recorded, Atalanta have generated 0.98 expected goals per match while conceding an average of 1.84.
Pafos arrive with attacking rhythm
Pafos travel to Italy with a clean injury sheet and regular European output. They earned their place in the league stage by overcoming Dinamo Tirana 4-2 at home on 27 August 2026, following a 1-1 draw away from home on 20 August. Prior to that tie, Pafos recorded a 3-3 home draw against Red Bull Salzburg on 13 August after a 0-1 away loss on 6 August, alongside a 4-0 home win over HNK Hajduk Split on 30 July.
Over their last three games with chance data, the Cypriot side have produced 1.44 expected goals per game while conceding 1.69 at the other end.
Our model firmly expects an Atalanta win
Our forecasting model firmly expects an Atalanta win in Bergamo. Although the Italian side have five players unavailable and an underlying deficit of 0.98 expected goals created against 1.84 allowed over their last five matches, their recent 3-1 win over Venezia and superior competitive baseline give them an edge over Pafos.