On March 6, Sporting CP of Portugal hosted Atalanta BC in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16. The encounter finished level at 1-1, setting up a decisive return tie in Bergamo a week later.
The opening goal arrived in the 17th minute when Paulinho broke into the box and found the bottom corner past Juan Musso, giving Sporting the lead. Midway through the first half, Alexei Miranchuk delivered a sharp pass to Gianluca Scamacca, who outpaced a defender and tucked the ball into the far post to equalize for Atalanta before the break.
Miranchuk remained on the pitch for the full 90 minutes, contributing to Atalanta’s attacking play throughout the match. The second leg is scheduled for March 14 in Bergamo, where the aggregate result will decide which side advances to the quarterfinals.
Miranchuk joined Atalanta from Lokomotiv Moscow in September 2020. His contract with the Italian club runs through June 2025, with Transfermarkt valuing him at around €7.5 million as of the most recent appraisal. Across the current campaign, Miranchuk has appeared in 25 matches across all competitions for Atalanta, recording 3 goals and 8 assists. In Serie A, Charles De Ketelaere leads the team in the combined goal and assist tally with 6 goals and 6 assists. Atalanta sits sixth in the league with 46 points at the time of the match, reflecting a competitive but mid-table position in a tightly packed standings table.
The question of when Russian clubs might return to European competition has been a topic of discussion in football circles, with various factors influencing scheduling and eligibility in European tournaments (citation: football federation statements; club transfer analyses). The current landscape continues to evolve as sanctions, licensing rules, and competition formats adapt to broader geopolitical developments and the ongoing calendar adjustments across domestic leagues and continental events.