Serie A is back for what promises to be a captivating Matchday 32, and there are quite a few intriguing encounters that are bound to excite. Whilst Inter Milan’s trip to Como will be the standout fixture from Sunday and one in which plenty of eyes from Turin will be focused on, there’s no question that Saturday’s showpiece event will be Juventus’ visit to Atalanta.
Juventus currently sit fifth in the Serie A table, one point behind Como, six behind Milan, eight behind Napoli, and 15 behind Inter,
whilst they also find themselves level on 57 points with Roma after their win over Pisa and four above Atalanta. They’ll be looking to make it four wins from five as they take on La Dea — who, unlike, Juve, are still alive in cup competitions and will host Lazio later this month in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal after drawing the first leg 2-2.
Which individual battles will decide Atalanta vs. Juventus? Let’s take a look.
Kenan Yildiz vs. Giorgio Scalvini
You’d have to go back all the way to May 7, 2023, for the last time that Juventus beat Atalanta in the league. After drawing the next two, Juve beat them 1-0 in the 2024 Coppa Italia final before drawing 1-1 in Bergamo, followed by a humiliating 4-0 defeat and a 1-1 stalemate at home. Atalanta have had the last laugh (so far) after smothering them in a 3-0 shellacking in the Coppa Italia quarterfinal, setting up a semifinal date with Lazio.
But there’s at least one major difference from the two sides that faced off a mere two months ago: Kenan Yildiz will be involved. An unused substitute against Atalanta in February, Yildiz has the potential to transform Juve’s attacking fortunes and give them an individual dynamism that is rivaled by few players in calcio. Having scored two goals and two assists in three matches going into the international break, Yildiz then headed off to the World Cup qualifying playoffs and led Turkiye to its first World Cup since 2002.
Unlike Giorgio Scalvini — who was part of the Italy squad that missed out on World Cup qualification for a third consecutive cycle — Yildiz will be taking part in the biggest competition in the game. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that Scalvini won’t make things difficult for the Turkish phenom. The 22-year-old Italian has established himself as a ball-playing defender who also isn’t afraid to get stuck in and make his presence felt in physical challenges, and after scoring in the previous week against Lecce, he’ll be riding high on confidence.
Expect this one to be a pivotal encounter.
Charles De Ketelaere vs. Lloyd Kelly
Between Gian Piero Gasperini moving to Roma in the summer and Ademola Lookman moving to Atlético Madrid in the winter, it has been a season of transition for Atalanta. However, La Dea nevertheless find themselves challenging for European football thanks in large part to one man who has proven a consistent ray of sunshine in an otherwise turbulent year: Charles De Ketelaere.
Having struggled to make his mark at Milan, De Ketelaere has since established himself as an indispensable figure in Atalanta’s attack, capable of dropping deep and dragging his man out of position and creating space for a teammate. Whether he’s wreaking havoc with his nifty movement, or organizing attacks with his sensational passing, or testing the goalkeeper’s resolve with a potent shot, De Ketelaere is an all-rounded player.
De Ketelaere is one of four players with 20-plus goals and 20-plus assists in the last four Serie A seasons alongside Paulo Dybala, Rafael Leão and Christian Pulisic, having bagged two assists last week, while only Mohamed Salah and Lamine Yamal have created more big chances in the UEFA Champions League than him. If Juve are to stop the Belgian dynamo, they’ll need a big performance from Lloyd Kelly. The Englishman has taken his game up a notch this season and emerged as a reliable presence in defense, but he’s also prone to bone-headed errors. If he can stay error-free, Juve might just be able to pull off the victory.
Éderson vs. Manuel Locatelli
Atalanta are used to selling at least one player for a blockbuster fee each summer, and there’s reason to believe that Éderson could be their latest cash cow. The Brazilian has emerged as a vital cog in midfield for Atalanta thanks to his relentless running, his impressive ball-carrying skills, and his grace under pressure, and Juve are one of the many sides that have put out feelers for him. However, if they fail to qualify for the Champions League, it’s likely he’ll be out of their price range.
While Éderson will be looking to deliver another impressive audition for a summer transfer, Manuel Locatelli will be looking to hold it down and win the midfield battle. Locatelli has made his name as one of the finest midfielders in Serie A, acting as a tireless ball-winner and consistently finding teammates in advanced positions, and constantly driving the play forward rather than remain static.
It’s precisely this mix of defensive grit and elite technical finesse that has seen him earn praise from the likes of Gustavo Poyet and establish himself as a versatile figure in the center of the pitch, impressing both as a deep-lying playmaker as well as a high-intensity box-to-box midfielder, and setting the standard for Juventus’ play. However, he may very well meet his match when he faces off against Éderson this weekend.
Nikola Krstović vs. Jonathan David
Unlike the other battles that we’ve mentioned, this match-up won’t necessarily be an individual 1-v-1 contest, but it could still prove decisive for the outcome of the game. It’s likely that this game will have few clear-cut opportunities — each of Juve’s last three matches have featured under 2.5 goals, whereas Atalanta have conceded just 1 goal in their last three league matches combined.
So, which striker will be able to make the most of his chances?
Juventus have beaten Atalanta just twice since the start of the 2021-22 season, and both times, Dušan Vlahović scored the decisive goal. But with Vlahović suffering another injury setback, the pressure will fall to Jonathan David, who has suffered a dismal first season in Italy. After a promising start to the new year, the Canadian striker’s confidence has plummeted after a run of embarrassing misses in front of goal, and time is running out for him to prove he’s still capable of making an impact.
On the other hand, Atalanta will also be missing their blockbuster striker, with Gianluca Scamacca unavailable due to injury. The onus will instead be on Nikola Krstović to step up the deliver the goods. Similarly to David, Krstović got off to a strong start in 2026, but unlike him, he’s managed to continue his fine form with a goal at Inter and at Lecce last weekend. If the Montenegrin can hold up his end of the bargain, he might very well be able to power Atalanta to another victory against Juventus.
Predicted XIs
Juventus (4-3-3): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Koopmeiners, Thuram; Conceição, David, Yildiz
Atalanta (3-4-3): Carnesecchi; Scalvini, Djimsiti, Kolašinac; Zappacosta, De Roon, Éderson, Bernasconi; De Ketelaere, Krstović, Zalewski
