Atalanta takes on Juventus in Serie A on Sunday evening in Bergamo. This is a big match in the top four race with the hosts sitting two points behind the Old Lady having played a matchless. La Dea has dropped seven points in their last three matches and faces a Juve side looking much more like their true selves.
Atalanta Form
Atalanta is not in good form. Their last 10 matches have seen four losses and just three victories. After a 6-1 win at Udinese where they looked like their old selves, Atalanta then played out cagey 0-0 draws at home to Inter Milan and away at Lazio, both good results in isolation.
Their last league match saw a 2-1 home loss to Cagliari after goalkeeper Musso was red-carded. They were beaten 3-2 at home by Fiorentina in midweek to be knocked out of the Coppa Italia. Their last 12 home Serie A matches have seen just three wins and five losses.
Atalanta Team News
Atalanta will be without goalkeeper Juan Musso due to suspension. He was sent off in the defeat to Cagliari last weekend. Another big blow is the absence of striker Duvan Zapata for the next three months after injury.
Attacking midfielder Aleksei Miranchuk is also absent due to injury. Jeremie Boga scored in midweek and could play in the front two again. Davide Zappacosta is expected to cover out of position at left wingback.
Atalanta Motivation
La Dea will play to win this match. A draw would not be a bad result as it keeps a top-four place in their own hand’s thanks to a game in hand over Juve.
Expected the usual 3-4-1-2 shape but with Zapata injured, there is a lot less goal threat even after Boga’s arrival. They may see a draw as a good result in that context.
Juventus Form
Juve has lost just once in their last 14 matches, a late defeat to Inter Milan in the Italian Super Cup. Their last ten Serie A matches have yielded seven wins and three draws. Their most recent league defeat was in November, at home to Atalanta.
After that loss to Inter in a cup game, the Old Lady beat Udinese (2-0) and Sampdoria (4-1) at home in Serie A. A 0-0 stalemate at AC Milan followed. The side then beat Verona 2-0 at home as both goals were scored by debutants in Dusan Vlahovic and Denis Zakaria. In midweek, they beat Sassuolo 2-1 in the Coppa Italia.
Juventus Team News
Danilo and Wojciech Szczęsny will return to the XI after being rested in midweek. Max Allegri used Alvaro Morata and Paulo Dybala on either side of Vlahovic against Verona but changed shape in midweek with Weston McKenni and Juan Cuadrado as the wide men instead. He has options to surprise Atalanta.
Juve welcome back Manuel Locatelli from suspension after he missed the win against Verona. Arthur will drop to the bench. Giorgio Chiellini and Federico Bernardeschi are absent through injury. Federico Chiesa is out long-term after knee surgery.
Juventus Motivation
Juve can focus 100% on this match with their Champions League last 16 matches still 11 days away. A draw would be okay as it keeps Juventus in the top four but Atalanta would still be able to leapfrog them by winning their match in hand.
The arrival of Zlahovic and a strong holding midfielder in Zakaria should allow Allegri to play a more positive game than some of the defensive setups used this season so far.
Key Stats
Atalanta are winless in 3 home matches (L2, D1)
Atalanta have lost 5 of their last 12 home Serie A matches
Atalanta have won their last 2 matches against Juventus (both 1-0)
Juventus have won 4 of their last 6 away Serie A matches (D2)
Juve are 10 Serie A matches unbeaten (W7)
Juve’s Vlahovic has 18 league goals this season
Verdict
Atalanta is not looking like themselves and Zapata’s injury is a huge blow. Juventus look formidable again and are strong in away matches. They are tipped for a big result in Bergamo.
Best Bet: Juventus win at 2.45
Value Bet: Juventus to win + Dusan Vlahovic to score at 3.62
Multiplier Leg: Juventus/Draw double chance + over 1.5 goals at 1.90
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