Juventus Turin vs Atalanta 20 September 2026 Prediction

Maurizio Sarri was the last manager to lead Juventus to the Scudetto. He is now in charge of Atalanta, a team that has caused Juventus plenty of problems in recent years. The Turin club has not beaten Atalanta in a competitive match at Allianz Stadium since 2018, recording two defeats and six draws.

A Switch Back to the Previous Formation Has Helped

Juventus recorded a comfortable 5-0 win over Dutch side NEC in the Europa League during the week, providing a response after taking just one point from their last two Serie A matches. The Bianconeri have still produced strong attacking numbers domestically, outperforming their opponents in expected goals in every round. Their forwards now need to improve their finishing. Randal Kolo Muani and Nick Woltemade have yet to score in the league.

Juventus' main issue remains its vulnerability to counterattacks, which became more apparent with Manuel Locatelli sidelined by injury. Luciano Spalletti appears to have found a solution by returning to a three-center-back system. He tested it successfully in Europe, where Juventus kept its first clean sheet of the fall. Kamil Grabara, who also provided an assist, is unlikely to remain in goal for a second straight match. Guglielmo Vicario is expected to continue as the Serie A starter, while the Polish goalkeeper should feature in other competitions.

Atalanta Has Lost Its Last Two League Matches

Unlike Juventus, Atalanta had a full week to prepare for this matchup. That should give the visitors a physical advantage, but their recent performances have been poor. The team is playing well below the level it maintained under Gian Piero Gasperini. Maurizio Sarri's style has yet to produce results in Bergamo, with Atalanta failing to reach 1.0 expected goals in three of its four Serie A matches. The results have also been disappointing. Atalanta has lost its last two league games, including a 2-1 defeat to relegation candidate Cagliari.

Sarri's recent teams were generally reliable defensively, but that has not been the case with Atalanta. The visitors have kept only one clean sheet in the league and rank fourth-worst in Serie A with an average of 2.03 xGA per match. Only Frosinone, Lecce, and Venezia have allowed more. Injuries do not fully explain those numbers. Isak Hien is the only unavailable defender, and he was not an automatic starter last season.

Predicted Lineup for Juventus vs Atalanta

Juventus (3-4-2-1): Vicario; Kalulu, Bremer, Lukumi; McKennie, Sarr, D. Luiz, Celik; Conceicao, Gonzalez; Kolo Muani

Unavailable: Locatelli, Yildiz, Ekhator, Thuram, Cabal, Boga (all injured)

Manager: Luciano Spalletti

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

Unavailable: Hien, K. Sulemana (both injured)

Manager: Maurizio Sarri

Referee: Luca Zufferli

Zufferli was among Serie A's more lenient referees last season, averaging 2.94 yellow cards per match. He has issued no more than three yellow cards in each of his last six matches involving Juventus and did not award a penalty in any of them.

Juventus vs Atalanta Prediction: Juventus Handicap -1.5

Main prediction: Juventus has a strong chance to win at Allianz Stadium. The return to a 3-4-2-1 formation has improved the team's balance, so Atalanta's counterattacks should be easier to contain than Sassuolo's were. The visitors often keep possession without creating enough chances and make avoidable turnovers that Juventus' mobile attack can exploit. The underlying numbers also favor the hosts. Juventus has won the xG battle in every Serie A match, while Atalanta has been outperformed in three of four rounds and is allowing 2.03 xGA per game. Juventus should control the matchup, making Juventus -1.5 at 2.74 the main selection.

Goals prediction: Atalanta is still capable of scoring. The visitors have found the net at least once in all four league matches, while both teams scored in each of Juventus' last two Serie A games. An additional option is both teams to score: Yes at 1.87.