Atalanta vs Juventus: Buffon will look to sign off on high note
Veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon will hope to end his Juventus career on a high note as he leads his side in the Coppa Italia final on Wednesday. The Bianconeri will be seeking to win their 14th title at the expense of plucky side Atalanta, who are aspiring to win their first Coppa Italia in nearly 60 years. Such is the gulf between both sides – but on paper only. In fact, La Dea actually sit ahead of Juventus in the table. Firmly ensconced in second spot, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side are looking solid to secure Champions League football for the third straight season, and have the second best record in the league after newly crowned Scudetto winners Inter.
It’s an impressive feat for a small team with a fraction of the budget of their upcoming opponents; to put this in perspective, Cristiano Ronaldo’s salary alone would fund Atalanta’s entire squad. Atalanta are again the highest scoring side in the league so far, with 90 goals, and will look to make sure they stay in the runners-up spot with a win on Sunday as they take on AC Milan. The fact that they have no issue scoring goals is notable as they’re not a side who will just grab a goal and park the bus to hang on for all three points – rather, they’re not afraid to pour numbers forward and have been involved in some very interesting and high-scoring games this term.
With just one loss in their last 17 league games, Atalanta will certainly be fancying their chances against a Juventus side who have been less than stellar this season. Gasperini’s troops are making their fifth Coppa Italia final appearance and first since the 2018/2019 season, when they finished as runners-up. If they can win here, it’d be their second Coppa Italia and their first since 1963.
For Juventus, this trophy is their last chance at any sort of redemption. It’s been a very disappointing season for new coach Andrea Pirlo, who, despite winning the Supercoppa Italiana, certainly can’t categorize this year as a success. Juventus failed to win the Scudetto for the first time in a decade, were dumped out of the Champions League at the round of 16 and now could even miss out on the tournament entirely. The Bianconeri come into this match having beaten Inter 3-2, but it’s a moot point as the Nerazzurri already won the Scudetto, and even that loss in the Derby d’Italia won’t dent the joy Inter and their fans must feel at finally getting their hands on the coveted prize.
This game could also be the penultimate one for several of Juve’s key players, including Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. The 36-year-old, who was brought in as Juventus desperately sought to win a seat back at Europe’s elite table, will win the Capocannoniere, but was unable to help his team win the Champions League during his time in Turin. In all fairness, it takes more than one man to win that prize, but somehow it seems that Juventus hoped that bringing him would elevate the rest of the team to a whole new level and thus end their decades-long wait for the prize. It doesn’t seem like winning the Coppa Italia will be enough to save Pirlo’s career, but for veterans like Buffon, who will be leaving Juventus at the end of this season, it would certainly be a great way to sign off on what’s been a frustrating 2020/2021 campaign.
