Juventus defeated Atalanta with goals in each half, finishing with authority, especially in the second half. The Bianconeri broke the deadlock with Conceicao in the first 45 minutes, playing with balanced play and possession. After containing a reaction from an Atalanta team that threatened and nearly drew level, but still lacked consistency in the closing stages, they increased the tempo and pressure in the second half. Bremer doubled the lead from a corner, while Carnesecchi avoided a more severe defeat in the final minutes. Spalletti's team celebrated a deserved victory in front of their home crowd, built on solidity and incisiveness. Atalanta is left with the burden of a third consecutive defeat, a defeat that came at a time when they needed to display the personality Sarri had called upon earlier in the match.
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Spalletti surprisingly opted for a 3-5-2, abandoning the formation used in the Europa League opener, bringing McKennie back into midfield alongside Douglas Diaz and Alajbegovic and deploying Gonzalez and Celik as wide midfielders, with Conceicao advanced alongside Kolo Muani. Sarri replaced the injured Kossounou with Kristensen, who formed the central defensive partnership with Scalvini. Bellanova and Bernasconi, the latter preferred to Kolasinac, were the full-backs. Kessie formed the deep-lying midfield, flanked by Samardzic and Ederson, while Gaetano sat on the bench. The attacking trio consisted of De Ketelaere, Rowe, and Krstovic, the latter preferred to Scamacca.
Juventus attacked, but Atalanta were well-protected and resisted pressure. Before the 15-minute mark, a cross into the box found Kolo Muani, who failed to connect. In the 22nd minute, Rowe made a fine move, breaking free from the opposition's pressure to find Krstović, but was brought down by Conceicao, who was booked. Juventus took the lead in the 28th minute with Conceicao, who scored with a first-time left-footed strike from Celik's low cross from the left. Atalanta claimed a penalty after Kalulu held Rowe in the box, who was receiving a through ball from Samardzic. The referee ignored the decision, and VAR did not intervene. In the following minutes, Atalanta enjoyed more possession, but failed to finish.
The second half began with a substitution for Juventus, with Sarr coming on for Alajbegovic. Spalletti also changed the formation, switching from a 3-5-2 to a 4-2-3-1. In the second minute, Juventus almost doubled their lead when Conceicao's corner found Nico Gonzalez, whose header failed to hit the target. Atalanta responded, coming close to equalizing with a fine move by Rowe, who, skipping past Kalulu, fired a diagonal left-footed shot, but Vicario was ready to deflect it. In the ninth minute, Juve threatened with Kolo Muani, who crossed for Conceicao in the box; Bellanova's interception proved decisive. Kolo Muani again aimed for the Nerazzurri goal, but this time Carnesecchi came out and saved outside the box. In the 13th minute, Juventus threatened again with McKennie, who headed in a Nico Gonzalez cross that was parried by Carnesecchi. Atalanta nearly equalized in the 17th minute through Kristensen, following a De Ketelaeree corner, but Kolo Muani was on the line and ready to head the ball in. In the 18th minute, Sarri replaced Samardzic with Raspadori. Substitutions were made on both sides in the 27th minute. Spalletti brought on Zhegrova and Koopmeiners for Conceicao and Nico Gonzalez, while Sarri replaced Krstovic and Kessie with Scamacca and Gaetano. On the half-hour mark, Sarri brought on Carnesecchi for a low, angled shot. Juventus doubled their lead in the 32nd minute through Bremer. From a corner kicked by Zhegrova, the Bianconeri defender found himself in the perfect position to head the ball into the net. From that moment, Atalanta faded, and Juve found space to attack. In the 39th minute, Atalanta made another substitution, with Elmas coming on for Rowe. In the 41st minute, Spalletti responded by replacing McKennie with Woltemade. In the 43rd minute, Carnesecchi proved decisive in preventing the Bianconeri from going 3-0 up after a perfect combination between Woltemade and Kolo Muani. In the 44th minute, Kolo Muani was substituted and given a standing ovation. Although he didn't get on the scoresheet, he played a key role in the Bianconeri's victory. Juventus won in front of their fans, having dominated the second half. It was a third consecutive defeat for Atalanta, who faded after Juventus' second goal.
Personality is the main theme that Maurizio Sarri focused on in his post-match press conference. “We have to play with more enthusiasm, mental nastiness – declared the coach –. For 60 minutes, we played on par with Juventus. It was a game that saw us improve in terms of our playmaking. I don't see any improvement in terms of courage and initiative. It's a team that is growing technically and tactically. They're not growing in terms of personality. We lost the last two games, but we're playing at a different level than before. The aspect that worries me is that the team doesn't show personality, initiative, and enthusiasm.”. A comment could not be missed on the penalty denied to Atalanta for Kalulu holding Rowe in the penalty area. Sarri emphasized that he prefers this year's VAR rules to last season's, but, nevertheless, if incidents of this type are not reported, the Nerazzurri coach added: “"If we go back to football where only the referee decides, I'm happy"”. Finally, a parenthesis on the unpleasant incident that occurred in a section of the Juventus Curva Sud during the minute of silence in memory of Sandro Mazzola, who turned his back and began chanting: “"It was a terrible feeling. When you lose a character of this caliber, I think paying tribute is the least I can do."” he declared. Luciano Spalletti echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of respect and sportsmanship, recalling the legendary figure, sensitivity, and depth of Sandro Mazzola. The Juventus coach praised the team's performance and Kolo Muani's strong performance, expressing his satisfaction with the entire squad's attitude and emphasizing that these victories stem from the players' unwavering willingness to apply what is asked of them. After dedicating the victory to the injured players, Spalletti confirmed that Juventus will search for a goalkeeper among the free agents.
JUVENTUS (3-5-2): Vicario 6 Kalulu 6 Bremer 7 Lucumi 6 Nico Gonzalez 6.5 (27' st Koopmeiners 6) McKennie 6.5 (41' st Woltemade sv) Douglas Diaz 6.5 Alajbegovic 5.5 (1' st Sarr 6) Celik 6.5 Conceicao 7 (27' st Zhegrova 6) Kolo Muani 7 (44' st Kelly sv). Available: Pinsogno, Adrian Radu, Gatti, Rugani, Pagnucco, Makiobo. Trainer: Spalletti
ATALANTA (4-3-3): Carnesecchi 6.5 Bellanova 6.5 Kristensen 6 Scalvini 5.5 Bernasconi 5 Samardzic 5.5 (18' st Raspadori 5) Kessie 6 (27' st Gaetano 5.5) Ederson 6 De Ketelaere 5 Krstovic 5 (27' st Scamacca 5) Rowe 6 (39' st Elmas sv). Available: Pompei, Sportiello, Pasalic, Kolasinac, Obric, Mirra, Zalewski, Zappacosta. Trainer: Sarri
Referee: Zufferli 5 Assistants: Tegoni and Colarosso. IV officer: Marcenaro Var: Marini AVar: Giua
Scorers: st 28' Conceicao, st 32' Bremer
Booked: Kristensen, Conceicao, Kessie
Recovery: 1, 3
