Iling Junior comes of age as Juventus squeeze past Atalanta
After a run of three consecutive league victories and five wins from their last seven prior to kick-off, Atalanta had breathed new life into their bid for a UEFA Champions League qualification spot, and the visit of third-placed Juve granted them another huge opportunity to close the gap to those above them.
For much of the first half, La Dea were in total control, pushing their opponents deep into their own half.
While Angel Di María was whiskers away from finding the bottom corner with a curling shot and Arkasdiusz Milik headed wide for Massimiliano Allegri's men, the hosts had the better of first-half openings.
The best fell to Giorgio Scalvini, whose header struck the post via Samuel Iling-Junior, and Mario Pasalic who blazed over from around the penalty spot shortly before the interval following a swift, neat move.
With so much on the line for both teams, the game started to open up after the break, and within 10 minutes of the restart, the visitors had the lead.
On his first start, Iling-Junior broke the deadlock, stabbing home from close-range via the crossbar.
WIth four games to come in the next 15 days, Allegri had made eight changes to the side that beat Lecce 2-1 last time out, allowing him to bring the likes of Dusan Vlahovic and Paul Pogba on from the bench.
The latter’s introduction almost produced the required outcome, but his first-time volley was well-saved by Marco Sportiello.
While Juve have not always been at their most dangerous offensively this campaign, they have been typically astute at the back, and a black-and-white shirt appeared to be in the way of every Atalanta attempt.
On the few occasions Gian Piero Gasperini’s men were able to breach the defensive wall, such as Teun Koopemeiners’ fierce free-kick, Wojciech Szczesny was on hand to deny an equaliser.
Ultimately, Juventus’ resilience got the job done, and Vlahovic added extra gloss to the result by finishing off a devastating break with a beautiful left-footed shot from just outside the area.
Now possessing a five-point buffer over fifth with four games to play, their place in Europe’s premier club competition next term looks increasingly secure - depending on whether their points deduction is reinstated, of course.
Atalanta meanwhile, are as many points adrift of fourth-placed Inter Milan, and require a series of results to go their way if they are to return to the continent’s top table.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Daniele Rugani (Juventus)