Date: February 13, 2022
Time: 20:45 CET, 14:45 EST
Just when you think the start to 2022 could not get any rockier for Atalanta, the scheduling gods have other plans. Yes Atalanta has the fortune of facing off against Juventus, wrapping up a month stretch that has pinned Atalanta against three of the seven sisters. Unfortunately for La Dea, the timing for this match could not have come at a worse time. For starters, Atalanta have lost in consecutive matches for the first time this year – after bowing out against Cagliari and Fiorentina. And to rub salt in the wound, La Dea is without Duvan Zapata for the rest of the year after he reaggravated an existing injury against Cagliari. Oppositely, Juventus has not lost since Atalanta snuck away with three points at the Allianz in November. Max Allegri’s men look hungrier than usual, with new signing Denis Zakaria and Dusan Vlahovic injecting revitalized blood into the Old Lady’s veins.
Common consensus would suggest that Atalanta would have to pull a rabbit out of its hat to secure three points, further amplified by the fact that only Genoa, Salernitana, Venezia, and Cagliari have won less matches at home this year than the Goddess. As puzzling as Atalanta home form may be, never underestimate the ability of Gasperini’s men to rise to the occasion when their backs seem to be against the wall. While this week has been one of the worst for Atalanta fans in recent memory, you do not have to go to far back to see the resilience the squad showed while battling COVID to steal two points from Inter and Lazio. Juventus is revamped, but Atalanta similarly has the uncanny ability to revamp in a matter of days and look like a completely different team midweek to weekend. Being cautiously optimistic is not a bad thing, but it all starts by not doing Juventus any favors and minimizing the mistakes.
Juventus Player to Watch – Dusan Vlahovic
Could it really be anyone else? One of Europe’s most sought-after strikers decided to remain in Italy, and he’s already made a strong impression on the Juventus faithful in his first week in black and white. A goal against Hellas Verona and creating an own goal against Sassuolo is a good return for the Serbian in two matches, and he’ll be hungry to keep his form high against Atalanta.
Vlahovic has scored four times (two penalties) in his last two matches against La Dea. But Atalanta has its ace in the hole this time around in Merih Demiral, whose sterling form may be the difference in keeping Vlahovic’s shots on target to a minimum. The Turk will have his work cut out for him, because Vlahovic only needs a few inches of space to turn a corner and get his shot off.
Atalanta Passione Predicted Starting XI
Juan Musso is sent to time-out this week, forcing Gasperini to rely on the services of Marco Sportiello (or Francesco Rossi) if he is feeling cheeky. Oddly enough Sportiello has started twice this year, and hasn’t had to stop any shots on target in open play. A good omen perhaps, or a sign that some sketchy penalties may be coming Juventus’s way?
Directly in front of #57, Rafael Toloi has been absent since the international break, and Gasperini will continue to rely on the Palomino-Demiral-Djimsiti trio. Jose Palomino had to exit the midweek Coppa Italia quarterfinal early, but no news has been released if it was because of a knock. This will be interesting to monitor, as an absent Palomino would most likely push Marten de Roon back into centerback duties.
Up front and after his sterling starting debut, Jeremie Boga already demonstrated enough to deserve another shout in the first eleven. The only question that remains is are the Ivorian and Luis Muriel too similar to have on the pitch at the same time. Offense did not seem to flow exquisitely when both were on the field against Fiorentina. Simultaneously the Mario Pasalic striker project did not go according to plan, so it doesn’t really give Gian Piero Gasperini too much flexibility to mix and match his attacking line. I’d personally like to see how much havoc both Muriel and Boga can cause together. Perhaps have them weave in and out between the left of the pitch and the middle – consistently creating matchup problems for a Juventus backline that may lose track of one of them during its zonal marking.
Three Small Keys to Three Big Points
Cling to Paolo Dybala- Just like the Inter match where Atalanta’s midfield was able to neutralize Inzaghi’s pivot, Remo Freuler or Marten de Roon cannot let Paolo Dybala out of their sight. His quick touches can spur on counter attacks before you can blink, so immediately bodying him up is compulsory to ensure that Vlahovic does not get sprung free on a through ball.
Have the left back continue cutting in on offense- Whether Davide Zappacosta or Joakim Maehle starts on the left wing, good things seem to happen when both cut in onto their favored right foot. Providing the width may not be as important if one of Luis Muriel or Jeremie Boga is living in the wide space in the attacking third. This just may give Atalanta an interesting diamond shape to work with that can get the boys in some dangerous spaces either along the goal line or right at the top of the box for the perfect long shot opportunity.
Mind the delayed runs from the midfield- Weston Mckennie had a field day running late into the box to get on the end of crosses against Sassuolo in the Coppa Italia on Thursday. On a different day he may have had two goals, but his constant presence was a nightmare for Sassuolo and it was seemingly impossible to mark him. Juventus will likely rely on some delayed runs from either the American or new signing Zakaria (who also scored on his debut), thus requiring some heady defensive work from Boga or Ruslan Malinovskyi to stifle an opportunity before it starts.
While the last few weeks haven’t been great for us Atalantini, there is no reason to declare that the sky is falling. Skids happen sometimes, and there is too much resilience in the squad for it to completely fall apart. Juventus isn’t the greatest opponent to try to get on track against, but it also may provide an additional source of adrenaline and determination for the players. Everyone always wants to be Juventus, it will never change. Teams will always be more spirited against the Old Lady, and it may be exactly what Atalanta needs to secure points, a spirited performance. Can we earn six points against Juventus this year, tough to say, but sign me up as a believer that it could happen! As always, Forza Dea!!!
