Atalanta vs. Juventus: Winners and Losers from Serie A
Having somewhat fortunately squeezed past Inter Milan in the Coppa Italia on Wednesday, Juventus travelled to Bergamo on Sunday, taking on Atalanta and confirming their grip on top spot in Serie A courtesy of a 2-0 victory.
Extra time and penalties were needed to overcome Roberto Mancini’s Nerazzurri, and the Bianconeri arrived at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia knowing closest rivals Napoli had already taken three points from Chievo on Saturday to close the gap.
Even before that, Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri had spoken to the press at his pre-match press conference, admitting an admiration for Sunday's opponents but stressing the importance of securing another victory.
“Atalanta play good football on home soil and will make it a tricky test for us,” the coach said. “We need to maintain our lead over Napoli and a win, which is the only result available to us, would enable us to do just that.”
His players would labour throughout the game before sealing all three points. What follows is a look at the winners and losers from the game, highlighting the best and worst performances from the Serie A clash.
Winner: Andrea Barzagli (Juventus)
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The early stages of this encounter saw Juventus dominate possession, and perhaps the only surprise about the opening goal was the identity of the scorer. Inexplicably left unmarked in front of goal, defender Andrea Barzagli tapped home his first strike in almost four years.
His previous goal came against the same opponents back in 2012, and the 34-year-old clearly enjoyed it, laughing as he celebrated with his team-mates. Barzagli was also typically resolute in defence, helping the Bianconeri to yet another clean sheet as they extended their lead at the top of the table to three points.
Loser: Marten de Roon (Atalanta)
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If Barzagli was fortunate to be handed such an opportunity to break the deadlock, he owed a debt of gratitude to Atalanta’s Marten de Roon. The Dutch midfielder played the Juve man onside at a set piece, and in truth, the home side never recovered from that error, rarely threatening to draw level as the match progressed.
De Roon’s poor afternoon continued, with WhoScored.com statistics showing he completed just 67.4 per cent of his passes and committed four fouls.
Winner: Mario Lemina (Juventus)
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Having watched as Sami Khedira give another commanding performance in central midfield, Mario Lemina was introduced as a second-half substitute, just as he was in Juve’s midweek Coppa Italia clash with Inter.
He would play a much more decisive role here, however, skipping past a number of Atalanta defenders before slotting the ball beyond Marco Sportiello and extending the Bianconeri's lead in the 86th minute.
Loser: Paul Pogba (Juventus)
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While the final score made the match appear comfortable for Juventus, it rarely was. Paul Pogba must shoulder some responsibility for that.
The France international was hugely ineffective throughout the match, making little impact against an opponent he should have been able to dominate.
Winner: Marco Sportiello (Atalanta)
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Although his side lost, Sportiello deserves credit for his display. The goalkeeper was often left exposed by his defence but gave a good account of himself. Before the game, the 23-year-old told his team-mates not to be afraid of the Bianconeri and played without fear himself over the 90 minutes.
“We never take to the pitch just to lose, even against Juventus,” Sportiello told L’Eco di Bergamo (h/t Forza Italian Football) ahead of the game. “You lose if you sit back and don’t do anything else against the big teams because they have quality players who can change a game with a single piece of play.”
