Teun Koopmeiners pegs back Juventus with double strike

By Sports Desk March 10, 2024

Juventus missed the chance to climb to second in Serie A after Teun Koopmeiners scored twice to earn Atalanta a 2-2 draw at the Allianz Stadium.

Koopmeiners’ ferocious strike following a set-piece put his side 1-0 up at the break.

Juventus turned the game around and thought they would go on to earn all three points thanks to goals from Andrea Cambiaso and Arkadiusz Milik, but Koopmeiners levelled.

Juventus had the first chance of the game when Fabio Miretti was brought down by Ederson outside the area but Federico Chiesa’s free-kick was over the crossbar just five minutes in.

The home side had a glorious opportunity to open the scoring 10 minutes later when Chiesa’s corner found Miretti in the six-yard box, but he saw his header saved by Marco Carnesecchi.

Juve were knocking on the door and had another shot on target midway through the first period when Samuel Iling-Junior’s pass found Chiesa inside the box yet he could only direct his effort at Carnesecchi.

Against the run of play, Atalanta broke the deadlock 10 minutes before the break from a free-kick when Bremer brought down Gianluca Scamacca outside the area.

From the resulting free-kick, Mario Pasalic played a short pass out to Koopmeiners who smashed into the top corner and beyond Wojciech Szczesny.

Former West Ham striker Scamacca could have doubled Atalanta’s lead when he collected the ball outside the box and aimed into the bottom corner but Szczesny palmed away from goal.

Juventus were level in the 65th minute through a wonderfully worked goal.

Juve were beginning to make their passes work and some neat play down the left allowed Weston McKennie to carry the ball and he slipped through to Cambiaso who poked under the legs of Carnesecchi.

The hosts now had the bit between their teeth following the goal and had another chance but Cambiaso’s audacious effort continued to rise above the bar.

Juve struck again in the 70th minute and McKennie was at the centre of it all when he chested a cross into the path of Milik, who blasted home in style.

But Atalanta equalised five minutes later through Koopmeiners, who latched onto Berat Djimsiti’s through ball and slotted under Szczesny’s legs.

Juventus could have snatched a winner in stoppage time when Chiesa’s cross found Moise Kean unmarked inside the area, only for the striker to head off target.

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