Football Bet of the Day: Gyokeres can sink Atalanta

Our Football Bet of the Day for Wednesday, March 6, 2024 comes from the Europa League as the round of 16 gets underway. After Benfica’s 5-0 hammering at the hands of Porto, Sporting CP are the league leaders in Portugal and having lost just twice all season, are now in pole position for domestic success. 

But Ruben Amorim will also have his eye on European glory. He has built a side capable of challenging Europe’s best on their day, and with a home leg up first against Italian side Atalanta (17:45, TNT Sports), the Verde e Brancos will look to get off to a positive start. 

Our Football Bet of the Day for Wednesday, March 6, 2024 focuses on Sporting, and in particular, their main man Viktor Gyokeres.

Okay, there’s a few reasons why I really, really like this bet. Number one, Sporting are a fantastic team this season and I believe they should make it to the semi-finals of this competition, if they avoid the likes of Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen. 

Their main strength is their tactical set-up and attacking quality under Amorim, which gets the best out of their front three. Gyokeres is the star, and the focus of this bet, but his 3-4-3 system also gets the best out of Pedro Goncalves and Marcus Edwards. The two diminutive wide forwards are tasked with chance creation, leaving Gyokeres to mop up the goals, and that’s something he’s been doing with aplomb this season. 

The second reason I love this pick is because I just love Gyokeres. The Swedish international inexplicably played for my club, Coventry City, for over two seasons, and honestly, I cannot believe we got to watch him for that long. However, in Portugal, he has stepped up to another level again. 

He’s quick, powerful and a willing runner which makes him the perfect number nine for Amorim, while he has also polished up his finishing boots in Iberia. He’s now the complete number nine, and a nightmare for any defence to try and handle, while he is also Sporting’s designated penalty taker. 

The numbers speak for themselves this term. Five goals in seven Europa League matches, 32 goals and 11 assists in 35 games in all competitions. It puts him right up there with Europe’s very best and he is bang in form, scored seven goals in his last six league games. Sporting are going to come out all guns blazing in this first leg on home soil, and Gyokeres is going to be right up for it, as he looks to prove his worth to potential suitors. 

We must also consider Atalanta’s role in this bet. The Italian side are a step up on the domestic sides in Portugal, but they now sit 6th in Serie A, and are without a win in their last three, ending a good run of six wins on the bounce in all competitions. They’ve lost their last two outings, to Inter Milan and Bologna, and worryingly conceded six goals across those 180 minutes. 

They collapsed in San Siro, losing 4-0, before conceding twice at home to a Bologna side which is gatecrashing the top four. Sporting away represents another tough test, and I just feel their defensive issues could creep back in at the Estádio José Alvalade. Gyokeres can take full advantage, and 9/1 on him to score twice is well worth a punt in my eyes. 

Check out our other Football Bet of the Day Tips here.