Wednesday is the day of reckoning in the Coppa Italia as Atalanta and Juventus look horns in the 2023/24 final at the Stadio Olimpico. A piece of history beckons for both teams who head to the capital to carve their names out in Italian football’s folklore.
Atalanta’s fifth game in a fortnight comes amidst a purple patch. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side will contest Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final this time next week after overcoming Marseille in the semi-finals.
Reluctant to let the media hype get into their heads, La Dea claimed a crucial Serie A win against Roma on Sunday. Charles De Ketelaere’s second career brace inspired the Bergamo outfit to a 2-1 home victory against fellow top-five rivals.
Left in pole position to capture a berth in next season’s Champions League group stages, Atalanta turn to Coppa Italia duties, seeking their first title since 1962/63.
Standing in their way is none other than record-time champions Juventus. The 14-time winners squeezed past Lazio in the semi-finals to earn a chance to lift their first piece of silverware since 2021. However, the atmosphere around the Turin camp is anything but healthy.
Adrien Rabiot’s stoppage-time equalizer in last weekend’s 1-1 home draw against an already relegated Salernitana didn’t save Juventus from another round of whistles from the home fans.
As the Bianconeri faithful demand Massimiliano Allegri’s head on a platter, not even a record-extending 15th Coppa Italia crown would guarantee the Italian a stay beyond the summer. Losing this game, on the other hand, would almost certainly be the detriment of the ex-Milan coach.
Match Preview
Atalanta
What most Atalanta fans thought they wouldn’t testify to in their lifetime could soon become a reality. Two grand finals in seven days could shape the history of this proud Bergamo club and their tactical genius, Gasperini.
No stranger to breaking the hearts of Juventus supporters, Gasperini has only lost one of his last six competitive meetings with Bianconeri in charge of Atalanta (W1, D4). On top of that, the veteran coach will take on the most decorated Italian club as a pre-match favorite.
That’s because his men have racked up six wins across their last seven outings across all competitions (D1). Fast starts have become synonymous with Atalanta, with five of those seven matches seeing Atalanta win the first half ‘to nil.’
Atalanta’s incredible run includes a 4-1 demolition of Fiorentina in the return leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final tie. Juventus target Teun Koopmeiners was one of the protagonists of that emphatic performance, as his early deadlock-breaker set the tone for La Dea’s sterling result.
Juventus
In contrast to Atalanta’s superb sequence, Juventus can’t catch a break. As aforementioned, Allegri’s men failed to beat one of the worst teams in recent Serie A history. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
To better understand the depth of the crisis, you must look at Juventus’ recent points tally. They’ve only claimed 15 across the last 15 Serie A rounds, with their five latest league outings ending all square.
As if that’s not devastating enough, Juventus only netted four goals across those five matches. However, they boast unparalleled experience in high-stakes showdowns.
It’s their 22nd appearance in the Coppa Italia final, and if anyone knows how to win a title, it’s Juventus. The catch is that they must do it on hostile turf, which has lately been their Achilles heel.
Not since January have Juventus won a competitive fixture on the road. In fact, they’re winless on their last eight domestic travels (D4, L4).
Team News
De Ketelaere’s stunning performance against Roma should settle Gasperini’s nerves after losing Gianluca Scamacca for this contest due to suspension. Other than the Italian striker, Atalanta will be without Emil Holm, Sead Kolasinac, and Rafael Toloi.
As for Juventus, Mattia De Sciglio and Kenan Yildiz are the only definite absentees. Alex Sandro and Danilo returned to training on Monday and could make the squad on Wednesday, though neither should feature in Allegri’s starting XI.
Atalanta vs Juventus Potential Lineups
Atalanta (3-4-2-1): Marco Carnesecchi; Giorgio Scalvini, Isak Hien, Berat Djimsiti; Davide Zappacosta, Ederson, Marten de Roon, Matteo Ruggeri; Teun Koopmeiners, Ademola Lookman; Charles De Ketelaere.
Juventus (3-5-2): Wojciech Szczesny; Federico Gatti, Gleison Bremer, Daniele Rugani; Andrea Cambiaso, Weston McKennie, Manuel Locatelli, Adrien Rabiot, Filip Kostic; Federico Chiesa, Dusan Vlahovic.
Atalanta vs Juventus Prediction
Despite another embarrassing performance at the weekend, we wouldn’t dare to write Juventus off before the kick-off. However, Atalanta are in far better shape, plus the incentive of conquering the Coppa Italia after 61 years is too powerful to be overlooked.
While Juventus carry a reputation as big-game specialists, it’s Atalanta’s time to climb to the podium.
Prediction: Atalanta Win
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