Atalanta might be struggling to qualify from theirChampions League group,but they are enjoying a contrasting form in the league after they ended their long wait for an away win over Juventus.
The GianPeroGasperini-led Atalanta side will have to beat Spanish team Villarreal away from home in their final group game if they want to seal a place in the Champions League knockout stage rather than drop down to the Europa League.Atalanta have been good ambassadors of Italian football in the last few years and they would need to show their quality again when they take on Unai Emery and his Villarreal players, who are the reigning Europa League winners from last season.
In the Italian football league,Atalantaoccupy a top-four spot alongside the title challenging trio of Napoli, Inter Milan and AC Milan. Atalanta were able to consolidate on their fourth position after they ended their long wait for an away win over fellow Champions League campaigners Juventus when the two teams met in the league on Saturday.
Juventus, Inter Milan, Atalanta and AC Milan are the four Italian football representatives in the Champions League this year. While the first two teams have booked their place in the next round of the competition via their respective groups, the final two teams need to win to have a chance of joining both Inter Milan and Juventus in the knockout stage.
For the league game between hosts Juventus andAtalanta, Colombia striker Duvan Zapata pounced on uncertain defending in the Old Lady ranks to score the only goal of the match on 28 minutes. The Colombian international made history by scoring the goal that gave Atalanta an away win over Juventus in the league for the first time since 1989.
Atalantaare in fourth place and they have opened up a six-point lead over fifth-placed AS Roma with the impressive win over Juventus. Roma will take on Torino on Sunday and a win will take them within three points of Atalanta once again. On their part, Juventus stay in eight place, but they are now seven points off Atalanta in fourth place.