Serie A: Title Chasers Clash in Turin

Juventus vs Atalanta

Serie A: Juventus vs Atalanta is where it’s at in Italy’s top flight this weekend, as the league’s fourth and third placed teams come face to face in the hotbed of Turin.

Both clubs are still in the title hunt, Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta, three points off the lead, at SBOTOP odds of 10.00 to win the Scudetto with Thiago Motta’s Juventus, three points further back at 11.00; and the winner of this clash will stay nicely in the race. But they both recently crashed out of the Champions League after losing their play-offs to Club Brugge and PSV Eindoven. Both Atalanta and Juventus expected to get through to the Round of 16, but in terms of the Scudetto race it may just be a blessing in disguise.   

The Old Lady comes into the game on the back of a 2-0 win at home to Hellas Verona while La Dea were frustrated by a 0-0 draw at home to Venezia and, while a draw wouldn’t be a disaster for either team, I expect both to go for all three points.

 

Talking Points

Juve aiming for Six of the Best

The Old Lady has morphed into a new identity under Motta, away from the expertly drilled 1-0 winning machine under past managers, the new boss has played a more expansive style of football and, on the whole, it seems to have worked. Juventus are one of five teams still in the title race, alongside Inter Milan, Napoli, Atalanta and fifth place Lazio, and Motta’s men are in the best league form, coming into this game on the back of five consecutive Serie A victories.

As well as beating Empoli, Como, Cagliari and Verona, I Bianconeri saw off Inter Milan 1-0 as Francisco Conseicao scored the winner assisted by January recruit Randal Kolo Muani. The Paris Saint-Germain loanee has scored five goals in his six games and he has recently suggested he would be open to a permanent move to Turin and Kolo Muani is likely to lead the line again on Sunday alongside top scorer Dusan Vlahovic, who has scored nine goals in 21. And the strike pair will be supported by French midfielder Khephren Thuram who has scored in each of the last two games, the 2-0 win over Verona and a 1-1 Coppa Italia draw with Empoli. Motta has more to worry about in defence though, with Renato Veiga out, alongside Bremer and Juan Cabal. Federico Gatti and Lloyd Kelly are the defenders fit enough to start at the centre of defence but there is little cover should Juventus suffer another injury.            

 

La Dea searching for the perfect balance

Renowned for their free-flowing and attacking style of football under Gasperini it is something of a curiosity that Atalanta have kept a clean sheet in four consecutive league games, for the first time since 1997. La Dea has a formidable central defensive partnership chiselled out from Albania, where 32 year old Berat Djimsiti cut his teeth and he sits alongside 31 year old Bosnian defender Sead Kolasinac.

But while the Atalanta defence was rock solid against Venezia, the normally free-scoring strikers drew a blank. Mateo Retegui with 21 goals and three assists and Ademola Lookman with 12 goals and four assists are two of the most lethal goal scorers in Europe but they both fluffed their lines. The week before La Dea spanked Empoli 5-0 and that is where Gasperiini wants his team to be; sound at the back and full of danger in the attack.

23 year old attacking midfielder Charles De Ketelaere has become more influential and consistent this season, while right wingback Raoul Bellanova has made six assists, so there is no reason why La Dea should produce too many blanks.  

 

History

With 36 wins to five I Bianconeri have bossed this relationship, in all competitions since 1993, though there have been 18 draws. In fact, four of the last five meetings ended in a draw, with a 1-1 stalemate in Bergamo earlier in the campaign.

And recent form also favours the hosts who have won four of the last six, in all competitions, while their visitors have won just two.    

 

Betting Tip

The pre-match Juventus vs Atalanta betting odds leave us in no doubt we’re in for a cracker at the Allianz Stadium with the Old Lady marginal favourite at 2.36, the draw priced at 3.04 and La Dea at 2.64. 

Gasperini’s men were strangely toothless in their draw with Venezia last week but I have high hopes that Juventus vs Atalanta highlights will be packed with goal action and the visitors may well be helped by Juve’s defensive shortage. But the hosts have their tails up and, with a chance to draw alongside their visitors, they will go for all three points.      

   

●●●

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS

Stay updated with everything sports and betting.

Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.