Atalanta Awaits Hapoel Tel Aviv in Conference League Playoff Clash

Hapoel Tel Aviv secured a 3-2 aggregate victory over Polish side Katowice on August 12, 2026, advancing to the playoff round of the UEFA Conference League. Despite losing 2-1 in the second leg held in Hungary, Hapoel's earlier 2-0 home win ensured their progression to face Italian powerhouse Atalanta.

Atalanta, the reigning UEFA Europa League champions after their 3-0 final win over Bayer Leverkusen in the 2023/24 season, represent a formidable challenge. The club also boasts a historic Coppa Italia title from the 1962/63 season. Previously, Atalanta eliminated Israeli club Hapoel Haifa from the Europa League qualifiers eight years ago with a dominant 6-1 aggregate score.

In the 2025/26 Serie A season, Atalanta finished seventh with 59 points, trailing champions Inter Milan by 28 points. In European competition, they reached the Champions League round of 16, overcoming Borussia Dortmund 4-1 in the second leg after a 2-0 first-leg loss, before being heavily defeated 10-2 on aggregate by Bayern Munich.

Atalanta's squad features notable players such as Belgian international striker Charles De Ketelaere, Italian forward Gianluca Scamacca, experienced midfielder Marten De Roon, and promising young defender Giorgio Scalvini, regarded as the club's top talent. Maurizio Sarri recently took over as head coach.

The financial disparity between the clubs is stark, with Atalanta's squad valued at approximately 447 million euros compared to Hapoel Tel Aviv's 15 million euros. Midfielder Aderson, who remained at Atalanta despite interest from Manchester United, is the highest-valued player at 45 million euros, followed by Scalvini at 38 million euros. Atalanta has made one signing this transfer window, acquiring midfielder Gianluca Gaetano from Cagliari for 12 million euros and agreed to sign defender Thomas Kristensen from Udinese for around 25 million euros.