Atalanta will face Juventus at home Sunday, and this match will tell us a lot about the race for a Champions League spot. Massimiliano Allegri will count on new signings Denis Zakaria and Dusan Vlahović, who already scored at their debuts last weekend against Hellas Verona in Turin. Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta, on the other hand, needs to react after two consecutive home defeats, the first one against Cagliari in Serie A and the last one against Fiorentina last Thursday in the Coppa Italia quarterfinal.
Here’s what you need to know:
Viewing information
Date: Sunday, Feb. 13 | Time: 2:45 p.m. ET
Location: Gewiss Stadium — Bergamo, Italy
TV and live stream: Paramount+
Odds: Atalanta +175; Draw +235; Juventus +155 (via Caesar’s Sportsbook)
Storylines
Atalanta: Gasperini needs to change the trend after two home defeats, and Juventus are not the ideal opponent to face. However, winning against Allegri would bring back a good feeling among the fans as well, who are now frustrated after also losing against Fiorentina in the last Coppa Italia match. Atalanta also have to deal with injuries since Duvan Zapata is again unavailable. New signing Jeremie Boga showed his skills and scored his first goal at the club against Fiorentina and can be a crucial player against Juventus.
Juventus: Juve have a great opportunity to boost their Champions League ambitions against Atalanta and Massimiliano Allegri can count on players such as Dusan Vlahović and Paulo Dybala who gave a positive feedback in their first games they played together. Juventus are unbeaten in their last 10 Serie A matches, which is their best such run since going 12 unbeaten between September and December 2020. Juventus’ last league defeat was back in the reverse fixture earlier this season against Atalanta, at the end of November.
Prediction
Juventus are in a totally different mood after new signings Vlahović and Zakaria have arrived at the club. It will be a crucial match for Allegri’s side to put a mark on their current disappointing season. PICK: Atalanta 1, Juventus 2
