On Thursday, March 17, Bayer will take on Atalanta at home in Leverkusen. The first match ended 3-2 in favor of the Italian club. There is some troubling news coming from Bergamo. The team looks very weak in recent matches in Italy. For example, they failed to beat Genoa on the weekend. Before that, a loss from Roma was recorded. Gian Piero Gasperini does not come to press conferences. It also became known about the departure of the technical director. The manager also has a conflict with Gasperini. The situation in the team is very far from favorable. The first match against Bayer was won due to the inspired play of Muriel and Malinovskiy. The Ukrainian has found an outstanding form and is one of the best performers in Serie A. Atalanta doesn't play well when they need to hold on to the lead. Bayer will definitely have the initiative in the first half. Gasperini may choose the tactics that he has already chosen for some matches in Serie A. For example, in Rome against Lazio, the coach focused on defense. That game ended 0-0. Injuries remain a big problem for Gasperini. Ilicic and Zapata will not be able to take part in the game. Miranchuk is also unavailable. Bayer lost in Bergamo, and then suffered a very important defeat in the Bundesliga. Seoane's men lost on home field to Cologne. Now their qualification for next year's Champions League is in jeopardy. Bayer is one of the most spectacular teams in Europe. Perhaps we will see more than two goals in this meeting. Of the last ten Bayer meetings, eight have produced more than two goals. It is unlikely that the match in Leverkusen will be an exception. However, in the first half, the teams do not have much reason to attack from the first minutes. The odds on the total of goals less than 2 before the break is a bit overstated. A huge problem for Bayer's attacking potential is the loss of Florian Wirtz. The young midfielder suffered a serious injury and is out for the rest of the season. The top scorer Patrick Schick will also be absent, Bellarabi is also missing in the rotation. All of these factors are a disadvantage for the potential effectiveness of the game. It is possible that Bayer will not be able to find a goal in the first half.