Serie A Preview: Juventus vs Atalanta – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction

Allianz Stadium sets the stage for a high-stakes Serie A showdown between bitter rivals Juventus and Atalanta. One of the standout fixtures of the weekend pits the two sides with lofty ambitions against each other on Saturday evening.

Juventus’ 100% league start came to an end last weekend. Despite taking an early lead through Francisco Conceicao, Igor Tudor’s side slumped to a 1-1 draw at Hellas Verona. In all fairness, the Bianconeri got away with a point, considering Paolo Zanetti’s charges squandered several promising chances and had a second-half goal disallowed by VAR.

However, three wins from the opening four rounds keep Juventus firmly in contention for their first Scudetto since the 2019/20 season. A swift return to winning ways would be the ultimate confidence booster, especially considering they face perennial top-four contenders Atalanta in a blockbuster contest.

Unlike their hosts, La Dea got their league campaign off to an underwhelming start. Back-to-back draws against Pisa and Parma cast doubt on Ivan Juric’s ability to fill the void left by Gian Piero Gasperini’s transfer to Roma. However, Atalanta have since gained a foothold in Serie A, dismantling Lecce and Torino via three-goal margins.

Juric led the Bergamo outfit to a commanding 3-0 win on his return to Turin last weekend, helping them bounce back from a dreadful 4-0 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain in their opening Champions League outing. Yet, it’s hard to imagine Atalanta replicating such dominance in Turin, where Juventus have been formidable under Tudor.

Match Preview

Juventus

Allianz Stadium has been a fortress this season. After a comfortable 2-0 victory over Parma, Juventus pulled off a stunning late comeback to beat Inter Milan 4-3 in a breathless Derby d’Italia in their last home league match. Furthermore, the Turin giants netted twice in second-half stoppage time to hold Borussia Dortmund to a 4-4 draw.

Despite enjoying their best start to the Serie A season since 2018/19, defensive woes threaten to hamper the Bianconeri’s hopes of returning to the domestic throne. Indeed, they’ve conceded across their last three games in all competitions, including seven in their two most recent home matches.

Nonetheless, Juventus will take the field in high spirits, buoyed by an ongoing six-game winning home streak in Serie A. Another triumph against Atalanta would see them go seven in a row for the first time since March 2021. Moreover, they scored at least two goals in each of those six wins.

Atalanta

The aforementioned win over Torino maintained Atalanta’s promising-looking form on the road. Except for a humiliating loss at the Parc des Princes, Juric’s men have gone unbeaten in five of their last six competitive matches on hostile turf, racking up four victories in that period. Continuing that record in Turin could be easier said than done.

However, if they defy the odds and avoid defeat, Atalanta would start the new Serie A season on a five-match unbeaten run for only the second time since 2007. The visitors can draw confidence from their recent meetings with Juventus. Indeed, they’ve not lost any of their last four encounters in Serie A (W1, D3).

Those games form part of an outstanding 11-game stretch, which saw Atalanta lose just one league clash against the Bianconeri (W3, D7). Adding to La Dea’s confidence, they emerged 4-0 victors from this corresponding fixture last season, extending their unbeaten run on this ground to seven matches (W2, D5).

Team News

After being rested against Verona, Gleison Bremer is expected to return to Juventus’ starting XI at the expense of Pierre Kalulu. Meanwhile, the Frenchman may return to the wing, with Joao Mario likely to make way. Long-term absentee Arkadiusz Milik remains on the sidelines, alongside Fabio Miretti.

As for Atalanta, Nicola Zalewski, Sead Kolasic, Giorgio Scalvini, and Mitchell Bakker are unavailable for selection due to injuries. Far more ominous is the absence of star striker Gianluca Scamacca and midfield cornerstone Ederson. With Scamacca out, Nikola Krstovic will probably lead the line despite Ademola Lookman’s return to the squad.

Juventus vs Atalanta Potential Starting Line-ups

Juventus (3-4-2-1): Di Gregorio; Gatti, Bremer, Kelly; Kalulu, Thuram, Locatelli, Cambiaso; Conceicao, Yildiz; David.

Atalanta (3-4-1-2): Carnesecchi; Kossounou, Djimsiti, Ahanor; Bellanova, De Roon, Musah, Zappacosta; Pasalic; De Ketelaere, Krstovic.

Juventus vs Atalanta Prediction

It would take a brave man to write Atalanta off before the kick-off. However, a sizeable injury list threatens to hamper La Dea’s chances of upsetting Turin again. Juventus have been superb at home, and we believe they’re well-positioned to take advantage of Atalanta’s injury crisis.

Indeed, this feels like a prime opportunity for Juventus to beat this opposition at the Allianz Stadium for the first time since March 2018.