Juventus vs Atalanta Review
Atalanta shocked Juventus with a decisive 4-0 victory at the Allianz Stadium, marking the first time this season that the Bianconeri suffered a home defeat in Serie A. An explosive counterattack from Atalanta saw Ademola Lookman’s shot blocked by Khéphren Thuram, who then missed the target at the other end after some impressive teamwork. Zappacosta and Lloyd Kelly also had attempts that went off-target, while Ederson’s header was deflected wide, and Hien’s acrobatic effort from the resulting corner soared over the crossbar, all occurring within the first 15 minutes of the match.
The intensity of the match remained high throughout, with Timothy Weah having his shots blocked by Zappacosta, while Di Gregorio saved an attempt from Lookman. Atalanta earned a penalty when Weston McKennie handled a header from Djimsiti, and their top scorer Retegui successfully converted the penalty, sending the ball past Di Gregorio’s outstretched hand into the bottom corner. After taking the lead, La Dea gained more control and nearly scored again before halftime, with Marten de Roon shooting wide, Lookman hitting the post after a deflection, and Di Gregorio making an excellent save against another Lookman effort, as well as denying Zappacosta.
Just under a minute into the second half, Atalanta scored their second goal after Di Gregorio saved a shot from Lookman and Kelly blocked Retegui’s attempt, allowing De Roon to finish. McKennie then shot wide as the Bianconeri sought to respond, prompting Thiago Motta to make three substitutions in the 54th minute, having already made one at halftime. The hosts improved their ball movement after the changes but still faced difficulties, conceding a third goal in the 66th minute when Kolašinac and Zappacosta combined, with Kolašinac’s backheel setting up Zappacosta for a composed finish.
Dušan Vlahović was brought on with 15 minutes left in the game, but his mistake only made matters worse as he slipped and allowed the ball to reach Lookman, who then advanced and scored past Di Gregorio. This goal added to Atalanta’s success, as they secured all three points in their seventh straight Serie A match without a loss, keeping them three points behind league leaders Inter Milan. Atalanta is also six points ahead of fourth-place Juventus, who experienced their third significant defeat in the last five matches across all competitions, with this being the first loss that occurred within the standard 90 minutes.
