Atalanta will aim to get back to winning ways and resume their Serie A title challenge when they take on a struggling Juventus side in Bergamo.
Gian Piero Gasperini admitted to being lucky as his Atalanta side dropped valuable points upon their return to Serie A action, with their next opponent being Juventus. The Bergamo side went to Saudi Arabia for the Supercoppa Italiana and were knocked out of the mini-tournament by Inter Milan in the semi-finals.
Upon their return to Italy, the title challengers went away to Udinese and were certainly lucky to avoid defeat, as the hosts were less fortunate to have stuck the post twice with their efforts. The game ended goalless, which was a bigger blow for Atalanta than Udinese, as Gasperini’s side slipped to third in the standings.
La Dea still have a game in hand over leaders Napoli following their trip to the Middle East, although they will have to win that to close the gap at the top to two points. The biggest threat to Napoli and Atalanta is the rapid form of Inter Milan who are sandwiched in between the two and have two games in hand over Napoli and one over Atalanta, which does make them the favourites.
Meanwhile, Juventus head to Bergamo hoping to bring some consistency to their game and secure wins. The Bianconeri endured yet another frustrating draw, their 12th of the current Serie A campaign. While they are still the only team in the league with an unbeaten status, Thiago Motta is already under severe pressure.
Juventus were also part of the mini-tournament in Saudi Arabia, and they were eliminated in the semi-finals by eventual champions AC Milan. Following their return to Italy, one might have assumed the Bianconeri would have registered a straightforward victory over Turin rivals Torino; instead, the neighbours produced a performance that frustrated Motta’s men.
An early Kenan Yildiz strike seemed to give Juventus some much-needed momentum in the Derby della Mole, but a late strike from Nikola Vlasic brought the hosts back into the game. Having endured yet another frustrating result, the hopes of Juventus mounting a title challenge are all but over, and Motta’s team will have to find form to sustain a top-four challenge from here onwards.
Team News & Tactics
Atalanta
Gian Piero Gasperini might have to make do without top scorer Mateo Rategui once again. The striker has resumed training but was still unavailable for the game against Udinese. In any case, there is a slight hope that the forward will feature among the Atalanta substitutes for the game against Juventus.
There are more updates as former Juventus star Juan Cuadrado is available again, although he, too, is expected to make up for a place on the bench. Berat Djimsiti was forced off with a head injury which required stitches that do make his participation unlikely for this clash on Tuesday.
Ademola Lookman and Charles De Ketelaere are expected to play a starring role in the attacking third, with the latter once again expected to fill the role left by the absent Retegui.
Marten De Roon and Ederson are expected to keep their midfield partnership going, while Mario Pasalic should take up the advanced role in midfield. Giorgio Scalvini, Isak Hien and Sead Kolasinac are expected to be in the back.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Carnesecchi; Scalvini, Hien, Kolasinac; Bellanova, De Roon, Ederson, Zappacosta; Pasalic; De Ketelaere, Lookman
Juventus
Thiago Motta will serve a touchline ban for this clash, and in the background, he must deal with some injury issues as well as naming his most competitive lineup for the Atalanta clash. There are big doubts regarding key attackers Dusan Vlahovic and Francisco Conceicao, with both suffering from muscular issues.
There is a liklihood for the duo to start on the bench for this visit to Bergamo. Arkadiusz Milik, Juan Cabal and Gleison Bremer are the long-term absentees, and Motta still has a thin setup at the back.
There is talk of a move for Ronald Araujo; however, for now, he has to deal with the present options in the backline. Nicolo Savona and Weston McKennie are expected to feature in the full-back roles, while the returning Manuel Locatelli should replace Douglas Luiz in one of the central midfield positions.
Khephren Thuram will keep his place in the middle of the park, while Teun Koopmeiners should reprise the No.10 role. Kenan Yildiz will once again start on the right wing to accommodate Timothy Weah on the left side, while Nico Gonzalez will play like a false-nine in the expected absence of Vlahovic.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Savona, Kalulu, Gatti, McKennie; Locatelli, Thuram; Yildiz, Koopmeiners, Weah; Gonzalez
Key Stats
- Atalanta are undefeated in their last 14 matches in Serie A.
- Atalanta are winless in their last three games across all competitions.
- Juventus are undefeated in their last 27 matches in Serie A.
- Juventus are undefeated in 19 of their last 21 away matches against Atalanta in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Ademola Lookman
The absence of Mateo Retegui has had an adverse effect on Atalanta’s results of late, as they have failed to win their last three games across all competitions. There is a big danger of falling behind in the title race, something Gian Piero Gasperini would not want at this stage of the season.
Hence, players like Ademola Lookman must find a different way to influence the game and help Atalanta overcome the absence of Retegui. While that has not worked out in the last three games, Gasperini will look to utilise the Nigerian international as more of a frontman rather than a winger. So, Lookman will hope to wear his big game boots against Juventus.
Prediction
Atalanta 1-1 Juventus
It is a tough game on all corners for both these teams and had Atalanta continued their stellar form coming into this one, they would have been favourites to clinch all three points. Instead, they have struggled in the absence of Mateo Retegui to produce the magic in the attack, which will be a source of concern for Gian Piero Gasperini before they clash with Juventus.
The Bianconeri remain one of the premium defensive units in Serie A, and once again, they will make it difficult for Atalanta to pass through them. Thiago Motta’s men are desperate to win games consistently, and this could lead to another frustrating outing. Our prediction points towards an eventful draw in Bergamo.
