Juventus: 3 things to look forward to against Atalanta

Juventus defeated Napoli last week on Wednesday and followed that important victory with a 3-1 win over Genoa. So they are rebounding as they head into Serie A’s Matchday 31, where a tougher challenge awaits them in Atalanta.

The Bianconeri had their chances against Atalanta earlier this season, but they could only get a point out of the match. Now, they will face their future Coppa Italia opponents at the Gewiss Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Let’s take a look at three things Juventini can look forward to when they see their favorite team take on a side that is just one point behind them in the table.

Creating breathing room with a win

After taking down Napoli last week, Juventus sit three points ahead of the Azzurri, who are in fifth. Atalanta are sandwiched in between, just holding onto a Champions League spot. All three teams have everything to play for before the 2020-2021 Serie A campaign wraps up, so this is a massive head-to-head matchup for both sides.

Juventus will want to create some space between themselves and Atalanta. Although Atalanta are a very good team, Andrea Pirlo’s men are expected to end the season ahead of their Bergamo counterparts. They have already disappointed Juventini by being out of the Scudetto race, so it is imperative they do not crash out of the top four.

A win at the Gewiss Stadium would go a long way in easing the pressure off the Bianconeri.

More fluid attacking play

Juventus were woeful against Benevento, losing 1-0 before the international break to a relegation candidate. They then drew an equally poor Torino side 2-2, and they were, quite frankly, fortunate to even get a point out of that match.

But Pirlo had his team in business against Napoli for much of the game and then against Genoa on Matchday 30.

Juve need to bring more of the same to the pitch this weekend at Atalanta. Juventini will want to see free-flowing attacking football with Dejan Kulusevski, who scored last week, involved. More chances for Cristiano Ronaldo, consistent play from the center midfielders, and positive contributions from Alvaro Morata would go a long way in helping Juventus secure the full three points on the road.

Paulo Dybala potentially in the starting XI

We still don’t know if Paulo Dybala is healthy enough to start and play for the majority of the 90 minutes, but he reportedly could be in the XI this Sunday. If so, that will be tremendous news for both Juventini and anyone who enjoys watching a creative maestro slaloming his way through a defense.

Dybala has been missed badly this season due to injury issues. We saw how vital he was to Juve’s success in 2019-2020, and it is a shame that some fans – most of whom reside in the town of “Player FC” – have forgotten this simple truth.

La Joya provided a glimpse of his brilliance with his strike off the bench against Napoli that proved vital in the win. Perhaps he can be just as pivotal against Gian Piero Gasperini’s industrious side on Matchday 31.