Stuttgart midfielder Atakan Karazor enjoys a tackle, in fact, only team-mate Maximilian Mittelstadt has put in more tackles (11) for the German outfit in the Champions League this season.

However, Karazor has only won three of his seven tackles and nobody has given away more fouls (5) for Stuttgart than the 28-year-old in this competition, so you can see why we have backed the midfielder to give away at least one foul on Wednesday.

Karazor does have one thing going in his favour though, he is yet to pick up a booking which suggests that while he does give away a lot of free kicks, his tackles are more often a genuine attempt to win the ball.

There is a good chance that we will be treated to a low-scoring affair in Stuttgart this week, if both teams’ previous outings in the Champions League are anything to go by.

Two of Stuttgart’s opening three matches have produced under 3.5 goals with the exception being their first game away at Real Madrid which ended in a 3-1 defeat. The German’s other two games both featured under 2.5 goals.

Each of Atalanta’s three European games have all witnessed fewer than four goals with the Italians playing out goalless draws against Arsenal and Celtic as well as securing a 3-0 win against Shakhtar Donetsk.

We’re expecting a decent number of shots to be taken in this game, especially by the visitors, despite our overall prediction of a low-scoring 90 minutes.

Apart from Atalanta’s opening game against Arsenal which ended goalless, the Italians have managed at least five shots on target in their other two Champions League clashes. The Serie A side saw five of their 22 shots hit the target against Shakhtar Donetsk as well as six of their 22 efforts at home to Celtic.

The way Stuttgart play also suggests that Atalanta will have plenty of opportunities to get their shots off as the German’s goalkeeper, Alexander Nubel, has faced 12 shots on target in his opening three appearances.

Speaking of Alexander Nubel and all those shots he has faced so far in this competition, we’re backing the Stuttgart shot-stopper to make 3+ saves against Atalanta on Wednesday.

Nubel has played every minute of Stuttgart’s three European outings this season and of those 12 shots on target the 28-year-old has faced, he has made 8 saves which works out at a save ratio of 66.7%.

Despite only maintaining a 33% clean sheets record, Nubel has performed very well in the Champions League this season, particularly in the draw against Sparta Prague in which he saved 9 of the visitors’ 10 shots on target.

Ademola Lookman will provide one of the key attacking threats for Atalanta on Wednesday night where he will be looking to add to the one goal he scored against Shakhtar Donetsk on matchday two.

Nobody has taken more shots for Atalanta in this competition than Lookman (7), though, midfielder Mario Pasalic is level with the Nigerian international. Of those 7 shots, 2 have hit the target and one resulted in a goal which leaves the former Everton man with a shot on target ratio of 28.6%.

Most of Lookman’s shots have arrived inside the 18-yard-box with his current average distance for shots in this competition sitting at 15.8 yards, so it is a slight surprise that he hasn’t hit the target more often.

Deniz Undav isn’t known for his tackling ability but the Stuttgart winger has given away the joint-highest number of fouls for his side in this Champions League campaign.

The 28-year-old has actually only made one tackle in his opening three appearances in the Champions League, which he won, which suggests that when he does commit a foul it isn’t via a genuine attempt to get the ball and is more likely for shirt-pulling and other misdemeanours.

Undav has been substituted in two of Stuttgart’s three Champions League games which makes it even more impressive that, as an attack-minded player, he has committed the most fouls for his team.

We’ve already backed an Atalanta player to have shots on target against Stuttgart but now we’re focusing on one of the Italian side’s player to have at least two shots during the match.

Croatian midfielder Mario Pasalic has the joint-highest number of shots in the Champions League for his club this season (7) alongside Ademola Lookman.

However, the 29-year-old doesn’t have a great record of hitting the target and is yet to register a goal in this competition. Pasalic has a  ratio of 14.3% but luckily for us, he doesn’t need to hit the target for our bet to payout and considering he has only started one of the club’s three European games he has done very well to take seven shots.

The referee might not have to reach into his back pocket too many times when Stuttgart play host to Atalanta on Wednesday as we’re backing under 4.5 cards to be shown during the 90 minutes.
Rade Obrenovic is the man that has been chosen to officiate this game and his one previous outing in the Champions League only produced three yellow cards and no red cards.

Stuttgart have picked up four yellow cards and no red cards in their opening three matches in this competition, with one arriving against Real Madrid, one against Sparta Prague and two during the win over Juventus.

Wednesday’s guests Atalanta have only had three yellow cards and no reds shown in their direction, one of which arrived against Arsenal, two against Shakhtar and none were shown in the draw with Celtic.