Serie A Preview: Juventus vs Atalanta – Team News, Lineups & Prediction | OneFootball

Fresh off a dream Europa League opener, Juventus return to Serie A on Sunday to face Atalanta at the Allianz Stadium. Both teams will have a point to prove this weekend after losing in the previous round.

Hampered by an ever-growing injury list, Juventus suffered a chastening 3-2 defeat at Sassuolo last weekend. The fact that Vasilije Adzic, their youngster on loan at the Mapei Stadium, scored the winning goal for the Neroverdi in stoppage time only added insult to injury. However, Luciano Spalletti’s men bounced back in midweek Europa League action in style.

Nick Woltemade and Kerim Alajbegovic, who joined the club in the summer, both got off the mark to help Juventus trounce NEC Nijmegen 5-0 at home. Spalletti will be desperate for his side to translate that momentum to Serie A after a stuttering four-game start (W2, D1, L1) and pick up another morale-boosting victory on the eve of September’s international break.

Unlike Juventus, Atalanta have had a full week to rest and prepare for this fixture after a gut-wrenching 2-1 home loss to Cagliari. Maurizio Sarri’s men have now lost back-to-back league matches following a two-game winning start, having slumped to a grueling 2-1 defeat at Roma on their last road trip.

Match Preview

Juventus

Despite Thursday’s statement win over Nijmegen, Spalletti’s future in Turin remains one of the major talking points in Serie A amid Juventus’ rough patch domestically. In Spalletti’s defense, Juventus are missing numerous first-team stars, including standout performer Kenan Yildiz, but that didn’t stop them from utterly outplaying Milan in their last home league outing.

However, the record-time Italian champions’ wastefulness in front of goal forced them to settle for a 1-1 draw. That stalemate capped off Juventus’ promising-looking ten-game run at the Allianz Stadium (W6, D3, L1), and another share of the spoils could be on the cards, given the recent history of this fixture.

With 12 of Juventus’ last 19 Serie A meetings with Atalanta ending all square, there’s a reasonable concern that this clash could deepen the crisis in Turin. A fast start would lend a helping hand, but Juventus have been notoriously slow out of the blocks this season. Nine of the ten goals in their Serie A matches this term have come beyond the hour mark.

Atalanta

Narrow victories over Sassuolo and Bologna to kick off Sarri’s tenure already look like a distant memory, with Atalanta in urgent need of a confidence boost after dropping six points against Roma and Cagliari. La Dea are at risk of losing three consecutive league games under the same manager for the first time since April 2025, but there’s a silver lining.

Despite lagging well behind Juventus in the all-time head-to-head record, Atalanta have proved particularly stubborn in Turin of late. An evenly contested 1-1 draw in this corresponding fixture last season extended La Dea’s unbeaten away league run against the Bianconeri to eight successive games (W2, D6), which should inspire optimism among Sarri and his staff.

Atalanta’s defensive vulnerabilities away from home could undermine their quest to keep Juventus at bay once again, with the Bergamo side failing to register a clean sheet across their last five Serie A road matches. Moreover, the visitors have secured just three victories from their last 12 away games in all competitions (D4, L5), further highlighting their travel sickness.

Team News

In addition to Yildiz, Juventus will also be without Khephren Thuram, Juan Cabal, Jeremie Boga, Jeff Ekhator, and Manuel Locatelli. With Spalletti’s starting midfield duo out of the picture, Douglas Luiz and Pape Matar Sarr are expected to start in the double pivot, while Woltemade could lead the line at the expense of Randal Kolo Muani.

As for Atalanta, Isak Hien and Kamaldeen Sulemana remain the only notable absentees. Gianluca Gaetano returns from suspension and should find himself in the starting lineup, alongside Franck Kessie, who’s in line for his first Serie A start since returning to the club this summer.

Juventus vs Atalanta Potential Starting Lineups

Juventus (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Kalulu, Bremer, Lucumi, Celik; Luiz, Sarr; Conceicao, Gonzalez, Alajbegovic; Woltemade.

Atalanta (4-3-3): Carnesecchi; Bellanova, Kossounou, Scalvini, Kolasinac; Kessie, Gaetano, Ederson; De Ketelaere, Scamacca, Rowe.

Juventus vs Atalanta Prediction

With Spalletti and Sarri in the dugouts, the stage looks set for a tactical chess match. However, Atalanta’s recent slump should put Juventus in the driver’s seat on Sunday, and the Bianconeri might pull off a much-needed win to get their league campaign back on track.