Juventus and Atalanta were scheduled to meet this past weekend, but the weather had other plans and as such, the game was postponed until further notice. But these two sides will meet again this Wednesday in the Coppa Italia, and the stakes will be incredibly high since the tournament is in its final stages. Whoever gets the win here will secure a spot in the final to meet either Lazio or AC Milan.
Juventus
Juventus defeated Genoa and Torino by 2-0 each and they also won the first leg against Atalanta 1-0, meaning they are yet to concede a goal in the tournament while also winning all their three matches. Will they extend the streak to four, clinching a berth on the final match in the process? They certainly have enough talent to get past Atalanta and the recent history gives them quite an edge since they have won eight of the last 10 meetings against them (W8, D2), but it remains to be seen how seriously Juventus takes this game. With the Serie A title race to be decided and the second leg of their Champions League tie against Tottenham on the horizon, there is a chance Juventus decide to prioritize one competition over the other.
Team News
Juventus should not have too many injury concerns. However, there will be several absences on the right side of the pitch.
Mattia De Sciglio, Juan Guillermo Cuadrado, and Federico Bernardeschi could all miss the game. But the good news is that both Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain are available to play.
Atalanta
Atalanta are coming off a devastating elimination in the UEFA Europa League at the hands of Borussia Dortmund, but that tie showed everyone in the world that Atalanta can compete with almost any team in the world right now. They have not had the same impressive season they had last term when they finished in fourth place, but they are still have a good year – they currently sit in eighth place. Atalanta already dismissed Sassuolo and Napoli in the previous rounds, but enter this game after losing the first leg 0-1 at home. Will they pull the upset against Juve, or will they end their Cup just 90 minutes short of the decisive match? The recent history does not play on their favour, as Atalanta have not defeated Juventus in their past 26 meetings (D4, L22).
Team News
Atalanta should have most of the team available ahead of this game.
The one absentee through injury is Andrea Petagna. The rest of the squad will be available.
Key Factors to Consider
Juventus won the first leg of the semifinals with a 1-0 score.
Juventus are riding an 18-game undefeated streak across all competitions, registering 15 wins and just three draws over that span.
Atalanta, on the other hand, are riding a four-game winless run. Their last win came against Chievo Verona in the Serie A on February 4, and after that they have three draws and one defeat (against Dortmund in the EL).
Atalanta’s last win over Juventus came in 2002. It was a 2-1 win in the 2001-02 Coppa Italia quarterfinals.
Juve have since won the last two Cup meetings against Atalanta, as well as being undefeated in the last 26 against them (W22, D4).
Conclusion
This might be Atalanta’s biggest game of the year since this their only realistic chance of getting a trophy this season. Meanwhile, Juventus want to keep their treble chances alive so they are not going to waste away the game, especially if they have the lead after the first leg.
This is going to be an open game, and I see both teams scoring.
Verdict: Both teams to score – yes
