Official Juventus lineup vs Atalanta: Yildiz makes surprise start | OneFootball

Juventus have unveiled their official starting lineup for their Serie A clash against Atalanta which will kick off at 20:45 CET.

While the two sides shared the spoils when they met in Bergamo earlier this season, they will both be desperate for a victory this evening, at least if they intend to preserve their hopes of pipping Inter and Napoli for the Scudetto title (both clubs have already recorded victories this weekend).

Thiago Motta will maintain his tried-and-tested 4-2-3-1 formation. Kenan Yildiz managed to overcome a bout with flu to earn a call-up, but most expected him to start from the bench. Nevertheless, the Turkish teenager eventually got the nod at the expense of Teun Koopmeiners who will be on the bench for the second match in a row, this time against his former employers.

Yildiz will link up with Weston McKennie and Nico Gonzalez who will act as the supporting crew behind Randal Kolo Muani. The latter will spearhead the charge as usual, but can expect Dusan Vlahovic to join him if the Bianconeri were in need of goals in the second period.

In the middle of the park, Manuel Locatelli and Khephren Thuram will resume their recently-flourishing partnership, making sure to close the spaces against La Dea’s dangerous charges.

Finally, the backline remains intact from the last outing against Hellas Verona. Despite suffering muscle fatigue in midweek, Federico Gatti has rapidly recovered. The Italian joins Lloyd Kelly, Timoth Weah and Andrea Cambiaso at the back, while Michele Di Gregorio gets the nod between the posts as is often the case.

Juventus XI (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Weah, Gatti, Kelly, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Thuram; Yildiz, McKennie, Gonzalez; Kolo Muani.