Atalanta and Juventus will meet in this season’s edition of the Coppa Italia final, with both sides eager to win silverware this season.
Atalanta could yet have an historic end to their current season, with probably two trophies to show for their cause, the first of which will see them clash with Juventus. Gian Piero Gasperini has one foot in the Coppa Italia final and the other in the Europa League Final, as they take on Bayer Leverkusen in the latter.
In the Coppa Italia showdown, Atalanta meet Juventus, and with a win, the manager can provide the squad with a boost of confidence ahead of the big European night that awaits them later in the month. La Dea also took a big step towards automatic Champions League qualification, with a stellar win over top-five rivals Roma at the weekend.
It is an essential game against Juventus in the Coppa Italia final. Atalanta lost against the same opposition in this fixture three years ago. While they will want revenge, Gasperini will be more concerned about actually winning the tie, as Atalanta have lost in four separate finals since winning the trophy back in 1963.
Juventus will have wanted to enter such a crucial game, which also happens to be their last chance to win a trophy this season in better form. The Bianconeri have struggled for relevance throughout 2024 and continued that trend when they only managed a draw with already-relegated Salernitana.
The dropped points have cast doubt on their credentials to hold on to their third-place spot, with Bologna now overtaking them there. Fellow Coppa Italian finalists Atalanta are not too far away from catching them in fourth place, as Juvetus’s season threatens to end in absolute misery.
Massimiliano Allegri will undoubtedly want to qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season, b [ut he may also like his team to start winning. Juventus must shake off their dismal form and win the Coppa Italia trophy, which could also galvanise the players for the remaining games in their league season.
Team News & Tactics
Atalanta
The big blow for Atalanta would be missing their main striker, Gianluca Scamacca. He picked up a yellow in the semifinal second leg against Fiorentina, which will see him suspended for the Final.
His absence will lead to some chances in the attacking third, as Gasperini might move Charles De Ketelaere in place of Scamacca. The move could see Teun Koopmeiners and Ademola Lookman occupy the attacking roles behind the Belgian, as the trio can still cause plenty of problems even without Scamacca.
Injury-wise, Emil Holm and Rafael Toloi are sidelined for this clash, while Atalanta is also without Sead Kolasinac heading into the game against Juventus. With the Bosnian absent for a few games now, Gasperini will continue to field a familiar back three with Giorgio Scalvini, Isak Hien, and Berat Djimsiti.
In midfield, Ederson and Marten De Roon will occupy their places, with Matteo Ruggeri and Davide Zappacosta preferred in the wing-back roles.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Carnesecchi; Scalvini, Hien, Djimsiti; Zappacosta, Ederson, De Roon, Ruggeri; Koopmeiners, Lookman; De Ketelaere
Juventus
The availability of critical defenders Danilo and Alex Sandro boosted Massimiliano Allegri’s squad. However, only the former might start this game, with the other likely to sit on the bench.
Federico Gatti and Gleison Bremer will start alongside Danilo in the Bianconeri’s back three. Juventus will also have Timothy Weah available after the wing-back served a one-game suspension in the weekend’s draw against Salernitana.
The one significant change will be the selection of Mattia Perin for the goal, with Allegri having been consistent in choosing him in cup games this season, as Wojciech Szczesny will have to step aside for a bit. Other than that, Juventus do not have many problems and could even include young attacker Kenan Yildiz in their squad if he recovers from a shoulder problem.
Allegri will name a familiar side, with Federico Chiesa and Dusan Vlahovic leading the line for Juventus against Atalanta in the final.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Perin; Gatti, Bremer, Danilo; Cambiaso, McKennie, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic; Vlahovic, Chiesa
Key Stats
- Atalanta has lost four Coppa Italia Finals since winning the competition in 1963.
- Atalanta are unbeaten in their last six games across all competitions.
- Juventus have only three victories in their last 17 games across all competitions.
- Juventus will lift the Coppa Italia for the 15 time should they overcome Atalanta.
Player to Watch
Charles De Ketelaere
The Belgian international has finally discovered his form from his Genk days and a troubled first season at AC Milan. It was recently announced that Atalanta will consider signing De Ketelaere on a permanent basis in the summer from Milan. The attacker has scored 13 goals this season for the Bergamo side.
The final against Juventus will be different for De Ketelaere, as Gian Piero Gasperini will ask him to lead the line for Atalanta in the absence of Gianluca Scamacca. It is a big task for the young Belgian, although it is a huge chance to prove his worth and help Atalanta win a long-awaited trophy.
Prediction
Atalanta 2-1 Juventus
Three wins in their last 17 games showcase how badly Juventus have fallen off their perch this season. This is a team that was firmly in the Serie A title chase at the start of the year. Massimiliano Allegri will now be in a desperate mood to win the Coppa Italia. But the Juventus manager must have hoped for another opponent than the in-form Atalanta.
The Bergamo outfit have proven their worth on all fronts, and they will now want to use this momentum to get their hands on the Coppa Italia trophy. This is a chance Gian Piero Gasperini will want to take advantage of, as Atalanta have the form and confidence to down even a team like Juventus, something they might do.
