Atalanta vs. Juventus: Key Issues That Will Shape Serie a Game

Having handily dispatched Cesena on Wednesday evening, Juventus travel to Bergamo on Saturday for their next Serie A fixture. Their comfortable 3-0 win over Pierpaolo Bisoli’s men—reviewed here—marked their fourth straight victory to start the season, and they will look to add three more points against Atalanta.

Their opponents have endured a difficult start to 2014-15, losing to Inter and Fiorentina in their last two outings. Currently sitting in 11th place in the table, they will be glad to see the easier run of fixtures following this encounter with the reigning Italian champions.

Massimiliano Allegri insists there is more to come from his side, despite the fact they have won five games in all competitions without conceding a single goal. “I inherited a side with great organisation, but this team still needs to improve a great deal,” he told Sky Italia on Wednesday (h/t Football Italia).

Over the following pages is a look at the issues which will shape this match as they seek to do just that, identifying the matchups and factors which could ultimately decide the result against the Orobici.

Juve’s Injury Hit Defence

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One major area for concern in the Juventus side is in defence, Martin Caceres joining Andrea Barzagli on the sidelines with an injury. Angelo Ogbonna filled the void left by the absent duo on Wednesday, turning in an impressive display despite being fielded in an unfamiliar position.

With German Denis yet to score for Atalanta, how the reshuffled Bianconeri backline copes with the Argentinean striker could well decide the result of this match. Gigi Buffon already has four clean sheets to his name, and the team will certainly be looking to add to that tally.

The Midfield Battle

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As with seemingly every Juventus fixture, how their opponents cope with the Bianconeri midfield is likely to have a major impact upon the outcome. While Vidal and Andrea Pirlo have struggled with knocks, Paul Pogba and Claudio Marchisio have ensured their team-mates are not overly missed.

Both have been excellent thus far, with the latter turning in a superb display against Cesena as his passing dominated the game. Atalanta boast a talented group of midfield players themselves, with Luca Cigarini and Maxi Morales two names to monitor closely.

The Form of Marco Sportiello

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Goalkeeper Marco Sportiello has been in excellent form so far this term, often the difference in ensuring Atalanta haven’t suffered even heavier defeats. According to Fox Soccer, only Genoa’s Mattia Perin (21) has made more saves than the 22-year-old after four matches and he has also managed one clean sheet.

Juventus clearly boast the quality to find their way past even the best of stoppers, but Sportiello’s ability to frustrate them could weigh heavily here.

Wednsday’s Big Champions League Fixture

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Following this match, Juve are next in action on Wednesday, travelling to Spain to face last year’s Champions League runners-up. Atletico Madrid will provide a stern test for the Bianconeri, and the prospect of that on the horizon could affect the game with Atalanta.

Allegri has already proven unafraid of rotating his side, using no less than 20 players in the first four league fixtures. That, allied to Arturo Vidal’s ongoing injury worries, seems to suggest the coach could once again field a much-changed line-up on Saturday.

Atalanta will seek to exploit any lack of focus from the Turin giants, while La Madama must hope she can once again muster a performance to see off a determined opponent.