Bayern München vs Atalanta: Match preview, team news, and key details
By Joel Masibo, March 18, 2026Bayern München will welcome Atalanta to the Fußball Arena München on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, with a UEFA Champions League quarter-final ticket in sight.
The German giants, six-time winners of the competition, head into the match with a commanding advantage after thrashing Atalanta 6-1 in the first leg. The Italian side, winners of the 2024 Europa League, now face an uphill battle to overturn that heavy deficit away from home.
Key insights
Historically, overturning large deficits in the Champions League knockout rounds is extremely rare. The biggest comeback away from home stands at two goals. Atalanta must therefore produce something extraordinary, as they attempt to recover from a five-goal margin.
Despite the setback in the first leg, Atalanta’s supporters remained supportive, and head coach Raffaele Palladino is expected to stick to his attacking philosophy. However, this could leave space for Bayern, who have been dominant at home in this season’s competition.
Probable line-ups
Bayern München: Urbig; Stanišić, Tah, Kim, Bischof; Goretzka, Pavlović; Karl, Gnabry, Luis Díaz; Jackson
Atalanta: Carnesecchi; Kossounou, Hien, Kolašinac; Zappacosta, De Roon, Éderson, Bernasconi; De Ketelaere, Sulemana; Krstović
Recent form
Bayern München come into the match in strong form, with a run of positive results, most recently drawing 1-1 against Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.
Atalanta, on the other hand, have struggled for consistency, with their latest outing ending in a 1-1 draw against Inter in Serie A.
Coaches’ and Players’ comments
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany: “It’s difficult to gauge how they’ll approach it. Only the opposition coach can answer that. After our match, they had a very tough game at Inter and got a very good result. They were solid and dangerous, and made it uncomfortable for Inter. We’ll be prepared for everything.”
Bayern midfielder Tom Bischof: “We expect Atalanta to give it everything. They still want to progress. They’ll attack down the wings, where they have fast players. For us, nothing changes. We want to win.”
Atalanta coach Raffaele Palladino: “The team must play with pride. We have nothing to lose and everything to prove. Recovering five goals is always a mountain to climb, but I want a match worthy of this club and this occasion. We are proud to be the last Italian side standing in the Champions League, and we will fight until the very end.”
Atalanta Midfielder Marten de Roon: “We have to go into the second leg with pride. Conceding six goals is not something we want to repeat. They are a very strong team, so we’ll need to be braver, breaking their rhythm and not letting them play with too much speed.”