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Atalanta failed to win any of their opening three home games in the Champions League this season Atalanta progressed to the play-off round of the Uefa Champions League with a thumping 5-0 defeat of Sturm Graz in Bergamo. Defeat saw Sturm Graz - playing for the first time in six weeks because of the Austrian winter break - eliminated from the competition with a game to spare, though the Austrian Bundesliga leaders should have taken an early lead. Less than a minute after Amady Camara flashed wide when through on goal, Italy striker Matteo Retegui converted Davide Zappacosta's cross from close range to put Atalanta ahead. Half-time substitute Ademola Lookman appeared to have made an instant impact when he squared across the face of goal for Charles De Ketelaere to tap home, but the goal was ruled out for offside following a video assistant referee (VAR) review. Former Everton attacker Lookman was denied twice in quick succession by Sturm Graz goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen, before Mario Pasalic stabbed home Juan Cuadrado's cross to double the advantage. Last season's Europa League winners continued to push for a third, and soon got it when De Ketelaere tucked home after the visitors failed to clear a corner. Lookman blazed over the bar when one-on-one with Scherpen, before fellow substitute Marco Brescianini was thwarted by a last-ditch challenge and the offside flag denied Zappacosta. Lookman finally got his goal late on by heading home De Ketelaere's cross at the back post, and there was time for Brescianini to add another. Victory against Barcelona on Wednesday 29 January could secure a place in the top eight and direct passage to the last 16 for the Italian side. After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users. Latest Champions League table Champions League scores & fixtures Follow the latest Champions League news Watch highlights of every Champions League game from 22: 00 on Wednesday on BBC i Player and the BBC Sport website and app. There will also be a Champions League Match of the Day on BBC One on Wednesday, from 22: 40 to 00: 00. Last Updated 21st January 2025 at 22: 53 Please Note: All times UK. Tables are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made. Manager: Gian Piero Gasperini Formation: 3 - 4 - 1 - 2 Manager: Jürgen Säumel Formation: 4 - 1 - 2 - 1 - 2 Manager: Gian Piero Gasperini Formation: 3 - 4 - 1 - 2 Manager: Jürgen Säumel Formation: 4 - 1 - 2 - 1 - 2 UEFA Champions League All competitions All competitions All competitions The only previous two meetings between Atalanta and Sturm Graz came last season, with the Italian side going unbeaten in two group stage games of the 2023-24 UEFA Europea League (2-2 away and 1-0 at home). No Austrian side has ever won against Italian opposition in the UEFA Champions League, while this will be the 15th such fixture in the competition (P14 W0 D3 L11). Atalanta are winless in their last five home games in the UEFA Champions League (D3 L2), most recently losing 3-2 to Real Madrid on MD6. Their only win in their last 10 games on home turf in the competition came in September 2021 when beating Young Boys 1-0 (D5 L4). Sturm Graz have won only one of their 15 away games in the UEFA Champions League (6. 7% - D2 L12) and the only teams to have played as many games on the road with a worse win rate in the competition are AEK Athens (0%) and Celtic (4. 8%). Only three teams have yielded a higher expected goals figure (excluding penalties) than Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League this season (12. 7), while the Italians are one of just three sides to rank in the top five for both expected goals and expected goals against (5. 2) in the competition this term (also Liverpool & Bayern Munich). Sturm Graz have scored three goals in their last two UEFA Champions League matches after only netting once across their previous six. Meanwhile Atalanta have conceded four goals in their last two games in the competition, as many as across their previous 10 outings in major European competition. Only FC Salzburg (22y 216d) have named a younger starting XI on average in the UEFA Champions League this season than Sturm Graz (23y 254d), with no team handing minutes to more different teenagers than the Austrians (5): Malick Yalcouyé, Amady Camara, Lovro Zvonarek, Arjan Malic and Konstantin Schopp. Charles De Ketelaere has been directly involved in seven goals in six UEFA Champions League games this season (three goals, four assists). If he scores or assists here, he would equal the record for a Belgian player in a single campaign in the competition (8 by Kevin De Bruyne in 2022-23 – two goals, six assists). No player has created more chances from line-breaking passes in this season’s UEFA Champions League than Atalanta’s Lazar Samardzic (6), despite him only playing 182 minutes so far this campaign. Three of the seven players to apply the most high pressures to opponents in this season’s UEFA Champions League have done so for Sturm Graz – William Bøving (413, 2nd), Malick Yalcouyé (359, 5th) and Mika Biereth (328, 7th), although the latter has since departed to join Monaco. Match ends, Atalanta 5, SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz 0. Second Half ends, Atalanta 5, SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz 0. Goal! Atalanta 5, SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz 0. Marco Brescianini (Atalanta) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Foul by Marco Brescianini (Atalanta). Tomi Horvat (SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Atalanta. Conceded by Jon Gorenc Stankovic. Attempt saved. Marco Brescianini (Atalanta) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ademola Lookman. Hand ball by Emanuel Aiwu (SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz). Fourth official has announced 4 minutes of added time. Substitution, SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz. Leon Grgic replaces Otar Kiteishvili. Goal! Atalanta 4, SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz 0. Ademola Lookman (Atalanta) header from very close range to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Charles De Ketelaere. Attempt blocked. Ademola Lookman (Atalanta) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is blocked. Assisted by Éderson. Corner, Atalanta. Conceded by Emanuel Aiwu. Attempt missed. Otar Kiteishvili (SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Ademola Lookman (Atalanta) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Emanuel Aiwu (SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz). Attempt missed. Lovro Zvonarek (SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Gregory Wüthrich with a headed pass. Corner, SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz. Conceded by Marco Carnesecchi. Attempt saved. Lovro Zvonarek (SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Otar Kiteishvili. Foul by Isak Hien (Atalanta). © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.