No trauma, no discomfort. There Juveoutclassed seven days ago by the 5-1 in Naples and penalized by fifteen points in the standings just Friday, plays the best match in his championship and Atalanta recovers twice. In one case (in the first half) he also manages to overtake her (2-1). In the second half, on the other hand, he suffers the initial one-two from the Bergamo players, goes down, but equalizes with Danilo when there are still 25 minutes to go and the Stadium dreams of victory to start the craziest and most useless of comebacks.
Fends 3-3 and Allegri feels that he has left something unfinished in the most significant match, against the opponent in the best form in the championship (Atalanta precisely, because Napoli are in a completely different race), under a sky that asked for the immediate redemption of the field after the penalty. There would also have been an opportunity (Demiral’s gift to Kean in full area, immediate cross and deflated shot from Miretti on Musso). It could have been the apotheosis if Di Maria had still been on the pitch, replaced by his young teammate. Which is good, but not (yet) a champion.
It was a beautiful confrontation, worthy of a Premier League match both for the intensity and for the predisposition of the two teams to look for the goal. A performance that clarified how, if he wants, even Allegri knows how to play open and offensive games. We knew about Gasperini. It’s just sad to see how unsportsmanlike the Atalanta coach is who, on the bench, made fun of the very clear penalty awarded to Juve (foul by Ederson on Fagioli caught by the Var), when instead his team risked two penalties in as many situations: first, Palomino’s belt on Milik; then, Toloi’s push again on the Pole launched into the net.
The draw, however, is fair and, given the premises, perhaps even comforting. In addition to the Juventus woes, the presence of an Atalanta team capable of scoring eight goals against Salernitana and five against Spazia in the Italian Cup weighed heavily on the stadium.
Sure, Atalanta have two great forwards (Lookman e Hojlund), the first scored the two goals of the lead (the 0-1 to which Szczesny also contributed and the 2-3 by jumping higher than Alex Sandro), but above all it is a collective where everything works, except, sometimes, the defense. Palomino had to leave after sixteen minutes and Demiral, who was very strong physically, was not always attentive. But it’s from the midfield upwards where Atalanta can do the best things. First because it produces gegenpressingi.e. pressing forward, every time he loses the ball. And then because he has players who know how to put the ball on goal. Thus came the draw of Maehle (2-2) just started the second half.
It is not known whether they were charged by the words of the president Ferrero and the managing director Scanavino or by the desire for revenge on sporting justice, but the Juve players were a group and seemed to be a team. There was no lack of amnesia (Szczesny on the first goal, Danilo on the second, Alex Sandro on the third), but everyone chased redemption (a great save by Szczesny on Toloi, the free-kick converted into a goal by Danilo) and everyone worked for the team. Di Maria only scored from the penalty spot, but he was a refiner of quality. Unfortunately, for him and for Juve, he still doesn’t have 90 minutes and his exit, together with that of Milik, have weakened the offensive department.
Despite the dedication, the sprints of Chiesa were missing in the second half of the second half. Allegri hoped that he would repeat his feat against Monza, but apart from a few excesses of nervousness, Chiesa has always been too far from goal, even when Miretti climbed into midfield.
The best goal was Juventus’ second because it came from a preciosity by Di Maria to free Fagioli in the right lane. Because the young midfielder’s cross was punctual and precise. And because Milik, right-footed, anticipated Toloi with the voracity of the worn-out striker.
What will this Juve revitalized by its own pride be able to do when it finds itself Vlahovic e Pogba? I honestly believe that out of 57 available points he can accumulate about thirty. They certainly won’t help to get to the Champions League. But even if the miracle, hoped for by Allegri, takes place, Juve will certainly be penalized again for the other two lines of investigation. Exclusion from Europe is the minimum and certain punishment. Allegri is right about this: all that remains is to score as many points as possible to demonstrate the effective ones and bet on the Italian Cup and the Europa League. On the pitch, that is where they play, Juve can come back more Juve than before.
