Juventus 0-4 Atalanta: Talking points as La Dea humiliates Old Lady in Turin

In a potentially crucial match for the top-four race in the Serie A, Atalanta shocked the Allianz Stadium in Turin by smashing Juventus to pieces.

Mateo Retegui broke the deadlock from the spot in the 29th minute, Marten de Roon doubled the visitors’ lead less than a minute into the second half, Davide Zappacosta added a third in thee 66th, and Ademola Lookman set the final score at 0-4 in the 77th.

Teams

Both sides had a significant number of players missing. For Juventus, the list consisted of defenders Gleison Bremer and Juan Cabal, midfielders Douglas Luiz and Nicolo Savona, winger Francisco Conceicao, and striker Arkadiusz Milik.

Michele Di Gregorio was in goal, shielded by a back four consisting of Andrea Cambiaso on the left, centre-backs Federico Gatti and Lloyd Kelly, and interestingly enough, Timothy Weah, a winger by trade, on the right defensive flank. As usual, Manuel Locatelli and Kephren Thuram paired up in the middle of the park, with Weston McKennie further up. Nico Gonzalez and Kenan Yildiz supported Randal Kolo Muani, with the France international picked ahead of Dusan Vlahovic to lead the attacking line.

As for Atalanta, they were without defenders Stefan Posch, Giorgio Scalvini and Odilon Kossounou, as well as striker Gianluca Scamacca.

With Marco Carnesecchi in goal, the back line was formed by the trio of Sead Kolasinac, Isak Hien and Berat Djimsiti. Ederson and Marten de Roon were in midfield, flanked by Davide Zappacosta on the left and Raoul Bellanova. Ademola Lookman and Juan Cuadrado attacked from wide positions, with Mateo Retegui as the striker.

Game recap

Both teams created early chances, with Thuram firing just over for Juventus and Zappacosta missing the target for Atalanta. However, it was La Dea who struck first just before the half-hour mark. Serie A’s top scorer Retegui converted a penalty – his 22nd league goal of the season – after Weston McKennie was penalized for handball.

Atalanta controlled the rest of the first half, with Ademola Lookman hitting the woodwork and Juventus goalkeeper Di Gregorio making several key saves.

De Roon doubled the visitors’ lead early in the second half, reacting quickest to a rebound after Lloyd Kelly blocked a shot. Zappacosta extended the advantage in the 66th minute, finishing from close range after a brilliant back-heel assist from Sead Kolasinac.

Lookman sealed the rout in the 77th minute, capitalizing on a slip by Juventus substitute Dusan Vlahovic and scoring with a deflected strike.

The Scudetto race

The match showcased Atalanta’s attacking efficiency and sharp finishing while revealing Juventus’ defensive frailties and creative struggles. Thiago Motta’s players truly toiled and never produced a proper chance to seriously threaten Carnesecchi in the Atalanta goal This heavy defeat deals a major blow to Juve’s already slim title hopes and casts doubt on their ability to secure a Champions League spot.

Gasperini’s side now moves up to 58 points, just three behind leaders Inter Milan and two behind Napoli in second place, while Juventus remain in fourth with 52 points, but the Bianconeri could now slip to fifth, if Lazio, currently on 50, triumph over Udinese on Monday evening.

Juventus will have a chance to boost their morale and recover from this shock when they travel to face Fiorentina next week. As for Atalanta, they welcome league leaders Inter in another vital Scudetto clash.

Motta under pressure

The 2024/25 season is generally considered as an unsuccessful campaign for Juventus, even though it’s Motta’s first in charge of the team. With every realistic chance of winning the Scudetto gone, the Old Lady will remain trophyless come summer.

According to reports in Italy, Motta isn’t expected to get the sack straight away, though Gazzetta dello Sport sees things differently. Apparently, the club hierarchy is already contemplating possibilities to replace the current coach, one of the candidates considered being none other than Atalanta’s Gasperini. Antonio Conte, who has already had success at Juventus both as a player and a coach and now leads Napoli in the title race, could be tempted to return. Should the club opt for a completely new face, it would likely be Roberto De Zerbi, currently in charge at Olympique Marseille.