One of the most exciting match-ups of the weekend pits Juventus and Atalanta at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday late afternoon. Both sides have stuttered in recent weeks, falling behind their seasonal goals.
Juventus’ Scudetto hopes are dead in the water after conceding a late penalty in a 2-1 defeat at Napoli last Sunday. With Inter moving 15 points clear at the table’s summit, another winless outing would be detrimental to the hosts’ bid to breathe some life into a nearly-lost title race.
However, Massimiliano Allegri’s men have underperformed since the start of February. They’ve only won once in their last six league games (D2, L3). On a positive note, the lone success in that sequence came on home soil, courtesy of a last-gasp 3-2 win against Frosinone.
That victory made Allegri the first manager in Serie A history to hit a 1,000-point landmark. But there’s a feeling Juventus fans can’t care less about the Italian’s personal achievements amidst a faltering title quest. Atalanta could put those hopes to bed this Sunday.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s troops have lost ground on fourth-placed Bologna after dropping a narrow halftime lead in a 2-1 home defeat to Thiago Motta’s side last weekend. Five points off the final Champions League qualification spot, La Dea can’t afford a slip-up in Turin.
It’s crucial for Atalanta to return to winning trail if they’re to secure a berth at Europe’s top table after a two-year absence. On the other hand, Juventus’ top-four pursuit is firmly on track, as they commence this round ten points clear of Roma.
Match Preview
Juventus
Allegri’s lads have blown hot and cold across their last three home league outings (W1, D1, L1). However, you’d need to go back to March 2018 for the last time Juventus celebrated a home victory against Atalanta in Serie A. Since then, they’ve gone winless in five top-flight H2Hs in Turin (D4, L1).
But there’s a reason for optimism. Despite Allegri’s reputation as a defensive-minded coach, Juventus have netted 3+ goals in four of their last six home games across all competitions (W4, D1, L1). Regardless of those impressive numbers, conceding first would be fatal for Bianconeri.
Juventus have only won one of the seven league matches after falling behind 1-0 this season (W1, D2, L5). Allegri prefers to win without conceding, but that could be a tall order against Atalanta.
Atalanta
La Dea hit the woodwork three times in an action-packed 1-1 draw at Sporting Lisbon in midweek Europa League action. Wasted opportunities hindered Atalanta’s hopes of ending a two-game losing league streak, bookended by a 2-1 home loss to Bologna last time out.
Atalanta’s form woes on the road stretch back to November, as evidenced by only one win from their last seven away league matches (D3, L3). Defensive frailties saw them fail to keep a clean sheet in that sequence, putting an emphasis on packing a punch.
That’s easier said than done against Juventus’ disciplined backline, suggesting Atalanta’s four-game winless H2H run will probably extend (D3, L1).
Team News
Besides Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli, Juventus can’t call upon Mattia Perin, Mattia De Sciglio, Moise Kean, Dusan Vlahovic, and Carlos Alcaraz. Question marks still hang over the heads of Adrien Rabiot and Weston McKennie, though the latter will probably feature in the starting XI.
As for Atalanta, Emil Holm is the only missing player after accumulating yellow cards. Charles De Ketelaere, Teun Koopmeiners, and Giorgio Scalvini will probably return to the starting lineup after being rested against Sporting on Wednesday.
Juventus vs Atalanta Potential Lineups
Juventus (3-5-2): Wojciech Szczesny; Federico Gatti, Gleison Bremer, Danilo; Andrea Cambiaso, Fabio Miretti, Manuel Locatelli, Weston McKennie, Filip Kostic; Federico Chiesa, Akradiusz Milik.
Atalanta (3-4-1-2): Marco Carnesecchi; Giorgio Scalvini, Berat Djimsiti, Sead Kolasinac; Davide Zappacosta, Marten De Roon, Ederson, Matteo Ruggeri; Teun Koopmeiners; Ademola Lookman, Charles De Ketelaere.
Juventus vs Atalanta Prediction
The stakes are high for Atalanta. Another blip would throw their top-four quest into further doubt. Juventus are not in a must-win situation, but they are desperate to overcome a rough patch and make amends for last weekend’s disappointment in Naples.
Without in-form Vlahovic, it’ll be challenging. However, Atalanta’s form doesn’t inspire much confidence either. As such, we expect a share of the spoils.
Prediction: Draw
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