After an inspirational Paulo Dybala display helped Juventus conquer Atalanta, David Schiavone analyses whether or not the Bianconeri’s in-form strike partnership can help propel the side up the Serie A table
Juventus made it three wins out of nine this season after a successful 2-0 victory over Atalanta last Sunday.
The victory still leaves Juventus in just 12th place in the Serie A league table, but the light at the end of the tunnel appears to be glowing brighter than before.
The win over La Dea is widely seen as the start of the La Vecchia Signora’s comeback after a terrible start to the 2015/16 campaign.
However, the possibility of a revival has already been discussed in recent weeks, only for these hopes to be quashed just days later thanks to yet another Bianconeri defeat.
During this gloomy period in Turin, one substantial positive element has arisen, and that is striking starlet Paulo Dybala.
The Argentine grabbed one of the goals during their 2-0 win at the weekend and throughout the game looked switched on and determined for secure more. It’s an attitude that has been missing for most of Juve’s games in Serie A since August.
Dybala doesn’t necessarily need to grow much more in a Bianconeri shirt, as he has already shown glimpses of all the qualities needed to be a successful forward.
At just 21-years-old, his future development is inevitable and he will hopefully become an unstoppable force in the future.
Four goals in eight games is not a statistic to be ignored, and it’s only a matter of time before he opens up his account in Juventus’ already positive Champions League campaign.
Despite this positivity however, one star-striker is not enough for coach Massimiliano Allegri, and he is sure to expect more from summer signing Mario Mandzukic.
The Croatian international’s poor start to the season has been running parallel with the club’s in general, but as soon as the squad claim a convincing victory, Mandzukic obtains a goal.
Already on the other end of his career compared to Dybala, the 29-year-old signed for the Turin club in June and was one of the big three to complete the switch, along with Dybala and Simone Zaza.
Recovering from a recent injury, Mandzukic finally seems to have rediscovered the confidence necessary to succeed in a Juventus shirt, and his goal against Atalanta will hopefully provide him with some motivation to kick on.
Should this partnership continue to flourish, with the visit to Sassuolo on Wednesday the perfect chance to prove it, goals will certainly become more a common occurrence for Allegri’s side.
It is still a matter of time as to whether or not the Old Lady can make a significant title challenge, but it is worth noting that only twice before has a team won Serie A after being this low in the table after eight games, and both times it was Juventus.
