Atalanta BC will open the Conference League league phase against Pafos FC at Stadio di Bergamo on Thursday after ending a three-match losing sequence with a 3-1 win over Venezia on Monday. The result gave them a reset going into their first league-phase game in the competition, and it came with Nikola Krstovic at the center of it all.
Krstovic scored twice and set up another goal as Atalanta led Venezia 3-0 inside the opening half-hour before conceding late in the first half. That burst matters because Atalanta need momentum as much as points: they started the season with three straight wins across Serie A and Conference League qualifying, then lost to Roma, Cagliari and Juventus before Monday restored some balance.
There is still a case for caution around the hosts. Atalanta are the highest-ranked side in this year's Conference League, but they arrive with Odilon Kossounou, Kamaldeen Sulemana and Isak Hien unavailable. Gianluca Scamacca has one goal in five league appearances this season and two in all competitions, so the choice in attack is not automatic if Atalanta decide Krstovic deserves another start after his display against Venezia.
Pafos arrive with a different kind of pressure. They made their European debut in 2024-25, reached the last 16 in that first campaign and later played in the Champions League for the first time last term before returning to the Conference League. Their route back has already been hard-fought: they were beaten 4-3 on aggregate by Red Bull Salzburg in the third qualifying round, then advanced by beating Dinamo City 5-3 over two legs in the playoff round.
The away record is the part that will be watched most closely. Pafos failed to score in Europa League qualifying defeats against Hajduk Split and Red Bull Salzburg, and while they did draw 1-1 with Dinamo City in the Conference League playoff round, they have yet to prove they can carry the same threat away from home in Europe. Sunday brought a lift, though, with Lele scoring twice in a 3-1 win over Anorthosis.
Jaja, Charalampos Kyriakidis and Jay Gorter are all unavailable for Pafos because of injury, which adds another layer to a tie that already asks questions of both sides. Atalanta have the ranking edge and the recent win they needed, but Thursday is still about whether they can turn that response into control from the start against a team that has already shown it can survive in Europe.
