Juventus returned to winning ways in Serie A with a 2-0 home victory over Atalanta at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday, easing the pressure on manager Luciano Spalletti as Maurizio Sarri's side slumped to a third consecutive defeat.
Francisco Conceicao opened the scoring in the 28th minute, sweeping home first time from twelve yards after Zeki Celik found him completely unmarked on the right side of the box. The Portuguese winger's clinical finish capped a bright opening from the Bianconeri, who had seen Randal Kolo Muani test Marco Carnesecchi inside the first ninety seconds.
Gleison Bremer doubled the advantage in the 77th minute, rising highest to power a header past Carnesecchi from a Zhegrova corner. The Brazilian defender's goal sealed a comfortable evening for the hosts, who head into the international break with three points and renewed confidence.
Spalletti set up his side in a 4-2-3-1 formation, a tactical shift that provided both defensive stability and attacking width. With Kenan Yildiz, Manuel Locatelli, Khephren Thuram, Jeremie Boga, Andrea Cambiaso, Jeff Ekhator and Juan Cabal all sidelined through injury, the Italian coach was forced to reshape his squad, but the result suggested his adjustments worked.
Jonathan Rowe had a penalty appeal waved away after what appeared to be a shirt tug by Pierre Kalulu, while a Nico Gonzalez effort from distance forced a save from Carnesecchi as Juventus pressed for further goals.
For Atalanta, the situation is increasingly concerning. Sarri's men have now lost three Serie A matches in a row — to Roma, Cagliari and now Juventus — and sit 12th in the table with just six points from five games. The Bergamaschi were without Odilon Kossounou, Isak Hien and Kamaldeen Sulemana due to injury, but the scale of their decline from last season's title challengers is stark. Gianluca Gaetano returned from suspension but could not arrest the slide.
Franck Kessie, who had been in advanced talks with Juventus before ultimately signing for Atalanta, featured against his former suitors but was unable to make a difference.
The result lifts Juventus to sixth in the standings with ten points, providing Spalletti's side with momentum before the break. After their emphatic 5-0 Europa League win over NEC on Thursday, the club can point to a productive week — particularly with the women's team also lifting the Serie A Women's Cup.
Juventus will look to build on this performance when Serie A resumes, while Atalanta face an urgent need to arrest their freefall before the gap to the top grows any wider.
Sources
- https://www.juventus.com/en/news/articles/conceicao-bremer-score-win-atalanta-20-09-26
- https://football-italia.net/serie-a-juventus-2-0-atalanta-third-dea-defeat/
