Atalanta vs Paris Champions League quarter-final preview: where to watch, team news

Atalanta face Paris at 21:00 CET on Wednesday 12 August in the first of the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in Lisbon.

Where to watch the game on TV

Fans can find their local UEFA Champions League broadcast partner(s) here.

How did the teams get this far?

Beaten 4-0 on Matchday 1 and without a win at the halfway point of the group stage, Atalanta have defied the odds to get this far; their thrilling 8-4 aggregate defeat of Valencia in the round of 16 showed just what they can do.

Unbeaten and prolific in the group stage, Paris lost 2-1 to Dortmund in the first leg of their round of 16 tie only to bounce back with a stylish 2-0 victory in the French capital.

Possible line-ups

Atalanta: Sportiello; Palomino, Tolói, Djimsiti; Hateboer, de Roon, Freuler, Gosens; A. Gómez, Malinovskyi; Zapata
Out: Gollini (knee), Iličić (personal reasons)
Doubtful: none
Players added to squad: Raoul Bellanova, Boško Šutalo
Players removed from squad: Adrian Tameze

Paris: Navas; Kehrer, Thiago Silva, Kimpembe, Bernat; Herrera, Marquinhos, Gueye; Sarabia, Icardi, Neymar
Out: Di María (suspended), Verratti (calf), Kurzawa (thigh)
Doubtful: Mbappé (ankle)
Players added to squad: Mitchel Bakker, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting
Players removed from squad: Edinson Cavani, Thomas Meunier

Reporters' views

Vieri Capretta, Atalanta reporter: Who could have imagined they would get this far? In their first UEFA Champions League campaign, and after a terrible start, it was impossible to imagine Atalanta beyond the group stage. Now, with just three more wins, they could be champions. On their day, Atalanta can beat anybody.

Chris Burke, Paris reporter: Three games to become European champions. That is the equation facing a Paris side who posted the best defensive record during an unbeaten group stage – before ending their three-year run of woe in the round of 16 against Dortmund. The outpouring of joy and relief after they dispatched BVB said much about their determination in this competition.

Latest results

Atalanta
Form: LWDWD (all competitions, most recent first)
Where they finished: 3rd in Serie A

Paris
Form: DWWWW (all competitions, most recent first)
Where they finished: Ligue 1 champions, French Cup winners, French League Cup winners

What the coaches say

Gian Piero Gasperini takes a look around the stadium on the eve of the gameAFP via Getty Images

Gian Piero Gasperini, Atalanta coach: "We've shown that a team without a particular European pedigree can do well, with values like will-power, motivation, enthusiasm. I think people like this a lot. We have a big responsibility to not disappoint – not with the result but in terms of these values. Neymar is one of the best players in the world, so he would be a problem for any team who faced him. I think the best way to defend against him is to play well ourselves, with everyone focused."

ThomasTuchel, Paris coach: "It is hard to play against Atalanta. It is a huge challenge, but there are always possibilities. It will be a tactical game, but also a mental game. In our latest training sessions were showed concentration, team spirit and good mood. We suffer together, but we also fight and play together."

Rule changes

From the quarter-finals, all matches will be played as one-off ties at two stadiums in Lisbon, Portugal; this game is being held at the Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica.

Teams will be able to make five substitutions but will only be allowed to make these changes at three points in the game. These three occasions do not include half-time, between the end of normal playing time and extra time, and at half-time during extra time. One additional substitution will be allowed during extra time.

There will also be more player to choose from: a total of 23 players will be allowed on the match sheet instead of 18, something usually only permitted for the final.