In one of the most anticipated encounters of Serie A round 25, Atalanta hosted Juventus at the Gewiss Stadium in a direct clash for a spot in next season’s edition of the Champions League. Following a flurry of missed scoring opportunities on both ends, Ruslan Malinovskyi came off the bench to give La Dea the lead with an absolute long-range scorcher. However, the Bianconeri escaped Bergamo with a deserved point thanks to an added-time equalizer from Danilo, and thus remain in 4th place. So here are the player ratings for the thrilling battle between Atalanta and Juventus.
Atalanta XI
Marco Sportiello – 7
Despite the absence of Juan Musso, Gian Piero Gasperini found himself a safe pair of hands. The Italian made two stunning saves to deny Vlahovic. But just when he thought that he’s going to celebrate a well-earned clean sheet, Danilo’s header from the corner kick left him stranded.
Rafael Toloi – 6.5
The Italo-Brazilian managed to limit Morata’s danger from the left and made sure to support his teammates up front, even if he didn’t always offered the required quality.
Merih Demiral – 7
A commanding performance from the Turkey international who can be considered as the De Facto winner in his personal battle against Vlahovic. He had a point to prove against his former employers, and he did so by limiting the danger of their new star player.
Berat Djimsiti – 6.5
Another solid performer at the back for Atalanta. He remained close to Demiral and helped him deal with Vlahovic and company.
Hans Hateboer – 5.5
The Dutchman found some difficulties when going forward, especially against De Sciglio, and wasted a golden opportunity to kill off the match when he was put through on goal, but ended up hitting the woodwork (but perhaps he was offside anyway).
Marten de Roon – 6
A decent if unspectacular display from the former Middlesbrough man. Worked hard in midfield and helped his teammates in dealing with Dybala. Almost scored on two occasions, but couldn’t reach the ball in time in the first half, and was denied by Szczesny in the second period.
Teun Koopminers – 6.5
An exciting display from the Dutch midfielder who played in a more advanced position than usual. His run towards goal caused havoc for Juventus, prompting Szczesny to commit a mistake. Had the chance to score from the six-yards box, but the ball just eclipsed him.
Remo Freuler – 6.5
The Swiss ran hard for the whole match and was everywhere on the pitch. Kept the ball ticking for the Orobici.
Davide Zappacosta – 5.5
The former Chelsea man is one of the most dangerous wingbacks in Italy, but just couldn’t create much danger against Juventus, as he had a hard time when facing Danilo.
Jeremie Boga – 6.5
The former Sassuolo man is quickly adapting to life at Bergamo, and proved to be the most dangerous player for his side (at least prior to Malinovskyi’s introduction). Could have scored twice in the final minutes of the first half, but was somehow denied by de Ligt. Almost created a sublime assist for Koopmeiners.
Luis Muriel – 5.5
In the absence of Duvan Zapata, his Colombian compatriot tried to interpret the center forward role, but the Juventus defenders comfortably neutralized his threat. Wasted a good chance for Atalanta with a poor freekick delivery.
Atalanta Substitutes
Joakim Maehle – 6
The Dane’s presence reenergized Gasperini’s left flank.
Ruslan Malinovskyi – 7.5
What a stunning second half cameo from the Ukrainian playmaker! Once again proved to be a thorn in the Old Lady’s back with a marvelous strike that broke the deadlock, and almost created another one for Hateboer.
Mario Pasalic – N/A
0 – Jérémie Boga is the first outfield player to have not received a single yellow card in his first 100 Serie A appearances in the three points for a win era (since 1994/1995). Gloves.#AtalantaJuve pic.twitter.com/OifMBZpaEx
— OptaPaolo ? (@OptaPaolo) February 13, 2022
Juventus XI
Wojciech Szczesny – 6
A mixed bag from the former Arsenal goalkeeper. Made a decent interception to deny de Roon as well as some routine saves. However, he unwisely rushed out of his goal and could have been sent off for tripping Koomeiners. Whether he could have done better on the goal is a debatable topic.
Danilo – 8
A brilliant all-round performance from the Brazilian stud. Massimiliano Allegri opted to keep him on the pitch at the expense of Bonucci which turned out to be on the money. Made several interceptions to save the day, before latching on a late header to earn what could be a crucial point for Juventus.
Matthijs de Ligt – 7
The former Ajax captain was simply supreme at the back. Made some absolutely stunning interventions to preserve the clean sheet, including two marvelous blocks on Boga’s shots. However, his poor decision to chase Malinovskyi all over the pitch culminated in the freekick that gave Atalanta the lead.
Leonardo Bonucci – 6.5
A decent display at the back from the veteran Italian who made very few mistakes at the back, even if he was overshadowed by his teammates in defense.
Mattia De Sciglio – 6
A decent display from the former Milan man who kept Hateboer at bay. However, his attacking contribution was almost non-existent.
Weston McKennie – 6.5
The Texan continues to improve from one match after another. This time, he even displayed his flicks and tricks with some occasional backheels, but at the same time, ran his socks off in order to retrieve the ball.
Manuel Locatelli – 6
The Euro 2020 winner continues to play in a far than ideal position on the pitch. Did well to shield the defense, but sat too deep to effectively contribute in the offensive phase, while some of his long passes were easily read and intercepted by the Atalanta players.
Adrien Rabiot – 6.5
The Frenchman continues to show signs of improvement as of late. Was involved in all phases of the match, but should have done better with his shooting.
Paulo Dybala – 6.5
The Argentine is given the freedom to roam all over the pitch, and almost scored a stunning goal in the first half. Put Vlahovic and Morata through on some occasions, and provided the assist for Danilo’s all-important equalizer from a corner kick.
Dusan Vlahovic – 6.5
The Serbian was adamant on scoring, but was denied by two miraculous saves from Sportiello. Made sure to keep himself involved in the play, but the chemistry between him and his teammates still needs some time to improve.
Alvaro Morata – 6
The Spaniard worked hard in his newly-found role on the left flank and won the ball back for Juventus on some occasions. But he appears to be reluctant to shoot at times, preferring to pass the burden for a teammate.
Juventus Substitutes
Juan Cuadrado – 6
Introduced by Massimiliano Allegri when Juventus found themselves trailing, but couldn’t create much while playing as a fullback. However, his run towards the box earned the corner kick which led to the equalizer.
Moise Kean – N/A
Marley Aké – N/A
Arthur Melo – N/A