Juventus 0-1 Atalanta: 5 talking points as Duvan Zapata strike condemns Bianconeri to fifth league reverse of season | Serie A 2021-22

#3 Attacking woes continue to plague Juventus

Juventus have the lowest goalscoring tally among the top ten teams in Serie A this season.

Juventus' night was made worse by a toothless display in attack. They mustered just one shot on target despite making 15 attempts. Paulo Dybala and Federico Chiesa both wasted two excellent chances created by Weston McKennie. The American then came a cropper during a promising counter.

Adrien Rabiot saw a good effort parried away by Atalanta custodian Juan Musso. In the dying moments of the game, Dybala' curling free-kick grazed the crossbar and sailed over.

This marked only the second time the Bianconeri have failed to score in the league. However, their goalscoring record after 14 games stands at just 18, the lowest among the top ten teams in the division.

Cristiano Ronaldo's departure has clearly left a gaping void in the Juventus attack. But it also shows how the Portuguese ace papered over the cracks with his blistering exploits.

Still want to believe he was the problem?

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#2 Duvan Zapata returns to haunt Juventus

Zapata loves playing against Juventus.

What makes Duvan Zapata special is not just his blistering scoring exploits, but also his ability to deliver in the big games. He loves playing against Juventus, who're one of his favourite opposition teams.

With his goal last night, the Colombian hitman now has eight strikes against the Bianconeri in 16 games across competitions. For the record, he has only scored more against Sassuolo in his career (9).

Interestingly, all eight of Zapata's goals against Juventus have come since the start of 2017. No other player in the division has bagged more against the record Serie A winners during this period.

Zapata has beaten the Juventus defence in Udinese colours, and then with Sampdoria and Atalanta too. So, no matter what club he plays for, scoring against Juventus has become a habit for Zapata.

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#1 Another season without the Scudetto for Juventus?

Juventus are 11 points behind leaders Napoli, having a played a game more

Juventus saw their near decade-long stranglehold of Serie A end last season by Antonio Conte's Inter Milan. Interestingly, Conte was the man who started the run back in the 2011-12 season.

Given how Juventus' current season is turning out, there's a distinct possibility the Turin giants could miss out on Scudetto glory for the second year running. With five defeats already - they lost six in the whole of last season under Andrea Pirlo - Juventus are trailing leaders Napoli by a whopping 11 points.

Massimiliano Allegri's return was supposed to boost the side, but they've instead become worse, with Cristiano Ronaldo's departure exacerbating their woes. The Portuguese was heavily criticised for stifling Juventus. But it's now amply clear that he was never the problem. He was instead the glue that bound the stuttering side together.