Juventus are seeking a reaction to the humiliating defeat at Napoli last time out as they host Atalanta in Serie A on Sunday.
Juventus are coming off their worst defeat of the season after going down 5-1 to leaders Napoli in their previous Serie A fixture. They were second best in every department with Angel Di Maria’s first half effort proving a mere consolation.
While it was a disappointing defeat for Juventus, manager Massimiliano Allegri will consider it only a minor setback having won their previous eight matches. The Turin club already somewhat bounced back in midweek, claiming a 2-1 victory over Monza in the Copa Italia.
One thing that will give Juventus confidence ahead of Sunday’s clash is their record at the Allianz Stadium, where they are unbeaten this season. They have won their last five home matches and despite keeping clean sheets in all five wins, the defeat at Napoli highlighted a defensive vulnerability that could be exploited by Atalanta.
Following an erratic run midway through the first half of the season, Atalanta have looked a different side since the break. They have claimed three wins and a draw from four matches across all competitions since the turn of the year, playing themselves back into European contention.
Atalanta's impressive showing in recent weeks could be attributed to a return to Gian Piero Gasperini’s trademark progressive philosophy. That attacking style was evident as they claimed an 8-2 victory over Salernitana last time out in Serie A before winning 5-2 over Spezia in a midweek Coppa Italia fixture.
While Atalanta have undoubtedly improved lately, their form on the road still needs some work. The Bergamo club has claimed only two wins from their last five Serie A away matches, keeping just one clean sheet in that run.
How the bookies view it
Juventus have the upper hand among the bookies and are backed at 6/5 by SBK to claim the win. A victory for Atalanta is valued at 13/5 by William Hill while Unibet is also offering odds of 13/5 for a draw.
Head to head
Juventus have a 35-6 advantage with 13 draws from 54 previous matches against Atalanta. However, the last seven meetings have been evenly split at two wins each and three draws.
Players to watch
While Juventus’ overall recent form has been driven by a sturdy defence, the attacking players could be worth keeping an eye on in the open encounter expected on Sunday. Striker Arkadiusz Milik has two goals in his last four Serie matches and could be tipped to take advantage of Atalanta’s vulnerable backline at 11/5 with bet365.
For Atalanta, Ademola Lookman could be the one to watch having already picked up where he left off before the World Cup. The attacker has four goals in his last two matches and is priced at 15/4 by bet365 to find the net on Sunday.
Anything else catch the eye?
Both teams were on target in the last meeting and given the attacking quality on display, a repeat could be on the cards at 17/20 by Unibet.
There have been more goals after the break in Juventus’ last five Serie A home matches and Saturday’s clash could be set to follow a similar pattern at 11/10 with Paddy Power.
This Serie A match between Juventus and Atalanta will be played on Jan 22, 2023 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Juventus vs Atalanta prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
