Quite unexpectedly, Atalanta is facing two finals at the end of this current season. Following the decisive match in the Italian Cup, Atalanta will play against the formidable Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final on May 22nd in Dublin. After securing a draw away against Marseille, Gian Piero Gasperini’s team dominated their opponent in Bergamo with a 3-0 victory. In Serie A, Atalanta’s fortunes are also looking excellent. Over the weekend, the “Goddess” secured three points in a crucial match against Roma. Following this victory, Atalanta is now three points ahead of Roma in the battle for fifth place, with one game in hand. It’s worth noting that Italy will have five teams in the Champions League next season, and Atalanta is likely to be the fifth. In the semifinals of the Italian Cup, Atalanta lost 0-1 away to Fiorentina in the first leg but then crushed them 4-1 at home. Before that, Gasperini’s team eliminated Milan and Sassuolo.
The Italian Cup represents Massimiliano Allegri’s last chance to win a trophy with Juventus. All Italian insiders report that Allegri will be sacked after the season ends, with Thiago Motta from Bologna being named as the favorite to replace him. Such a decision by Juventus management is not surprising at all, as the Serie A season has not unfolded as expected for the team. Juventus currently occupies only fourth place, whereas at the beginning of 2024, it seemed they would be contending with Inter for the Scudetto. In their last five Serie A matches, Juventus has played to draws, and over the weekend, they failed to defeat the league’s worst team, Salernitana, at home, ending in a 1-1 draw. In their last 10 Serie A matches, Juventus has only managed one victory. In the Italian Cup semifinals, Juventus won 2-0 at home against Lazio but suffered a 1-2 defeat away, which was still enough to advance to the final. Before that, Allegri’s team eliminated Frosinone and Salernitana.
