Atalanta Crush Juventus 3–0: Tactical Masterclass Sends La Dea Into Coppa Italia Semis

📰 Coppa Italia QF: Atalanta 3-0 Juventus

On Thursday, 5 February 2026, Atalanta produced a commanding performance at the New Balance Arena to defeat Juventus 3–0 in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, booking a place in the semi-finals. The win marked another strong showing for the Bergamo side and continued their unbeaten run against Juventus in competitive matches since the 2024 Coppa Italia final.

Caricature created for illustration purpose, to visualize the 3 Atalanta goal scorer's celebration.

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⚽️ Key Moments

• 27′ – Atalanta 1–0 Juventus: Gianluca Scamacca converts a penalty after VAR spots a handball, sending Mattia Perin the wrong way.
• 77′ – Atalanta 2–0 Juventus: Substitute Kamaldeen Sulemana finishes a swift counterattack to double the lead.
• 85′ – Atalanta 3–0 Juventus: Mario Pašalić, another sub, seals the victory by firing low through the legs of the defender into the bottom corner.

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📈 Atalanta’s Tactical Success

Atalanta’s 3-4-2-1 setup effectively stifled Juventus’ attempts to control the game:

• Compact defensive shape: Atalanta defended solidly in midfield and limited Juventus’ central creativity, forcing the Bianconeri wide or into rushed decisions.
• Clinical transitions: Once winning possession, Atalanta used quick forward movements and exploited spaces behind Juventus’ line — evident in Sulemana’s decisive counter-attack goal.
• Wing-back influence: The 3-4-2-1 allowed wing-backs to support both defence and attack, helping overload flanks and stretch Juventus’ back four.

Meanwhile, Juventus’ 4-2-3-1 struggled to find rhythm, misplacing opportunities and failing to convert promising positions, with several chances either saved or miss-hit.

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⭐ Key Players

• Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta): Composed from the penalty spot and gave Atalanta the breakthrough momentum.
• Kamaldeen Sulemana: A lively presence off the bench, linking pace and movement to finish a swift counter.
• Mario Pašalić: Sealed the historic victory with a cool, opportunistic finish shortly after entering.
• Giorgio Scalvini: Strong defensive performance and influence on possession for Atalanta.

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🏆 Man of the Match (Atalanta)

Kamaldeen Sulemana — While all three goalscorers impacted the result, Sulemana’s incisive attacking play and assist-like movement in the second half fundamentally shifted momentum in Atalanta’s favour, energising the attack and proving decisive.

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📝 Summary

Atalanta’s 3–0 victory over Juventus was a statement performance in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals. Tactical discipline, smart substitutions, and efficient finishing allowed the hosts to dominate phases of the match and secure progression to the semi-finals. Juventus, despite threats and flashes of quality, failed to convert chances and were unable to contain Atalanta’s transition threat.