Atalanta Presents Major Challenge for Hapoel Tel Aviv in Conference League Playoff

After securing their victory against Katowice, Hapoel Tel Aviv now faces a much tougher opponent in the Conference League playoff: Atalanta. The Italian club from Bergamo, founded in 1907, has transformed over the past decade from a modest team into a recognized European contender. Historically, Atalanta's only major domestic title was the Italian Cup in 1963, but under coach Gian Piero Gasperini, they have become a Serie A top team, regularly qualifying for European competitions and reaching the Champions League quarterfinals in 2019/20.

Atalanta's peak came in 2024 when they won their first European title, the UEFA Europa League, with a memorable 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen, highlighted by a hat-trick from Ademola Lookman. This win ended Leverkusen's 51-game unbeaten streak. The club has maintained a strong European presence, participating in the Champions League five times since 2019 and reaching the round of 16 in the most recent season. Although their domestic league performance was less consistent, they finished in contention for European qualification spots.

Atalanta's squad is valued at approximately 417 million euros, compared to Hapoel Tel Aviv's 17 million euros, underscoring the quality gap. Key players include Belgian forward Charles De Ketelaere, who has become a significant figure at Atalanta after transferring from AC Milan and scoring three goals in the recent World Cup, including Spain's only conceded goal. Italian national team striker Gianluca Scamacca led Atalanta with 14 goals in the 2025/26 season, supported by dynamic Brazilian midfielder Adrson, who nearly transferred to Manchester United recently. The team also features many experienced players familiar with top-level Italian and European football.

On paper, Atalanta is the clear favorite, but for Hapoel Tel Aviv, recently promoted back to the Israeli Premier League and now just two wins away from the group stage of a European competition, this matchup is a valuable opportunity. They aim to challenge one of Italy's standout teams of the last decade and seek to return to the European stage after a 14-year absence.