Two European contenders will face each other in Serie A when Juventus host Atalanta on Sunday.
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Juventus have a lot to take care of as the summer approaches.
The manner in which Max Allegri’s team lost in the race for the Serie A name is deeply disappointing.
After a 3-0 win over Lecce in mid-January, Juventus moved into the most sensible position in the table. But very little has gone right since then.
Naturally, the focus was on the 1-0 defeat to Inter at the beginning of last month, a result that put the Nerazzurri in contention for the top spot.
But Juventus have also been disappointing in many other games. A one-game winning streak in their last six Serie A games has seen them drop 15 points from the top of the table.
As such, Juventus have nothing left to play for for the rest of the campaign. It’s a position for Italy’s most decorated club.
On the plus side, Juventus will almost qualify for the Champions League. They have a 10-point lead over Roma in fifth place and one point ahead of Atalanta in sixth. The top five in Serie A could qualify for an expanded ranking. edition of Europe’s premier tournament.
As his last 11 games don’t count for much, the communication has focused on Allegri’s future.
His second spell at the Allianz Stadium was particularly less successful than his first, in which he won five scudetti and reached two Champions League finals, although Allegri is by no means the main culprit for this regression.
A strong end to the season could give the experienced head coach an extension to his contract, which runs until 2025. If none are on the table before the summer, Allegri has hinted he will resign.
Whether this would be a negative progression or not divides opinion among the club’s huge fan base.
It could be a fun encounter as Juventus and Atalanta look to get back to winning ways.
One of Allegri’s main criticisms is his taste in conservative play. Even with one of the most productive groups in the division, it seems that the Juventus coach’s first priority is not to lose a game.
Atalanta, who play fluid football under Gian Piero Gasperini, are the kind of team that frustrated Juve enthusiasts point to when they claim there is a way to do things.
Allegri at least loosened some of the shackles in last weekend’s match against Napoli, gifting wonderful starts to two teenagers and making sure Juventus committed their bodies to attack, even if their warring teams had a lot more of the ball.
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But it didn’t work out: Napoli triumphed 2-1, while the Bianconeri took advantage of their wasted chances.
Atalanta will take advantage of Juventus’ lack of confidence on the pitch.
They only took one point from the last nine available, but the games against top-flight AC Milan, Inter and Bologna were going to be difficult. Gasperini’s men can avoid defeat in Turin this weekend.
Atalanta are among the clubs hoping Serie A will secure an additional position in the Champions League standings next season.
At least they can go out to do something. The functionality in the continental festival of this crusade will see two countries achieve a fifth place.
Atalanta drew 1-1 with Sporting CP in the first leg of the Europa League 16 on Wednesday, with the second match taking place in Bergamo next week.
On paper, Gasperini’s team closes the season in Serie A. But after failing to beat Milan, Inter or Bologna, they will be ready to make a statement of intent against Juventus.
Atalanta haven’t managed to score in 4 games this season. For Juventus, the figure is three. Only Milan and Inter have higher records in Serie A.
That suggests goals from either side are an attractively priced gamble for this weekend’s clash at the Allianz Stadium.
Juventus missed several chances against Napoli last time out and Dusan Vlahovic was the most to blame.
“If I’m going to take the last step and what I need, I have to take those risks,” he said later in an admirably candid interview.
The Juve striker will miss Sunday’s game through suspension, so the hosts will be without their most sensible goalscorer.
Vlahovic is a poacher in the penalty area, so many of Juve’s chances tend to go to waste. Without him this weekend, other strikers could be more prominent.
With the odds available, Federico Chiesa turns out to be a smart pick in this market. Only Vlahovic has scored more goals for Juve in 2023/24, with the Italian foreigner finding the net against Napoli last time out.
Greg Lea is an independent footballer from London. He basically covers the Premier League and has published paintings in The Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.
Follow Greg on X:@GregLeaFootball
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