Juventus midfielder Felipe Melo headed an 82nd minute winner to see his side claim a 2-1 win over Atalanta  in Serie A despite a rather unconvincing display.

Alessandro Del Piero had given the home side a first half lead with a sensational free-kick, but Nicola Amoruso equalized just before the break.

The home side recalled David Trezeguet to partner Alessandro Del Piero up front at the expense of Amauri, whilst Giorgio Chiellini was missing at the back, with Nicola Legrottaglie stepping up. Atalanta were missing West Ham target Tiberio Guarente and club captain Cristiano Doni, with Diego De Ascentis and Nicola Amoruso deputizing.

The game kicked-off against the backdrop of fan protests outside the Olimpico, with the Curva Sud virtually empty. There were also reports that Jonathan Zebina was struck by a fan when the Juve team coach had arrived at the ground.

After an early scare when Thomas Manfredini headed just past the post, Juventus thought they’d taken the lead in the ninth minute. Diego whipped in a free-kick to the far post, and Trezeguet’s downward header beat Andrea Consigli, but the Frenchman had run into an offside position by the time the set piece was struck.

Trezeguet was again beyond the last man moments later when Del Piero played a neat ball through the backline looking for his strike partner. He then had a chance after a good pass off the floor by Del Piero, but his snatched left foot effort didn’t trouble Consigli in the Atalanta goal.

Though Atalanta were playing their part in the game, they were unable to force anything to extend the Juve backline, with the match being played at a leisurely pace. The away side’s first opportunity came on 24 minutes, when Simone Tiribocchi pounced on Adriano Ferreira Pinto’s header down to fire a left foot shot which brought a neat reaction stop from Alex Manninger.

Juventus took the lead in the 30th minute when Alessandro Del Piero struck a majestic free-kick into the top corner of the net from 30 yards beyond the despairing dive of Consigli after De Ascentis had been booked for a foul on Trezeguet.

The magnificent goal was out of keeping with the game to that point, finally bringing something for the sparse Olimpico crowd to cheer.

There was a more somber mood once again within minutes when Diego was forced to limp off with a knock to his right leg. The upside to the injury was a return for crowd favorite Sebastian Giovinco.

Atalanta could have equalized when Jaime Valdes’ shot was spilled by Manninger but the Austrian keeper managed to collect at the second attempt as Amoruso followed in. The Nerazzurri broke again just before half-time. Simone Padoin fed Federico Peluso, whose low cross just beat the desperately stretching Amoruso and Juventus were able to breathe a sigh of relief.

David Trezeguet could have extended the Bianconeri’s advantage, but scuffed a right foot effort from 10 yards. And Juve were made to pay when the Orobici went straight up the other end and equalized.

De Ascentis chipped a neat ball over the top of a static home defense and the onrushing Nicola Amoruso found it all too easy to fire a right foot effort beyond Manninger to level the scores going into the interval.

The visitors could so easily have taken the lead in the opening minutes of the second period when Padoin hit a speculative effort from range which flew just over the angle of post and bar with Manninger beaten.

Alberto Zaccheroni was subjected to whistles when he made his first tactical change, bringing off Antonio Candreva and replacing him with the much-maligned Felipe Melo.

The move did little to change the complexion or the tempo of the game, as Juve failed to take any real control, despite the endeavor shown by substitute Giovinco in particular.

Trezeguet once again failed to take a good opportunity when he received a pass inside the 18-yard box, but was dispossessed at the last second by Gyorgy Garics.

It was the Frenchman’s last piece of action, as he was replaced by Amauri, who could have scored immediately after his introduction, but he miss-hit his right foot effort from Giovinco’s corner.

The Atomic Ant could himself have scored soon after when he cut in from the left before unleashing a stinging right foot shot which went just wide of Consigli’s far post, with the goalkeeper having just got his fingertips to the effort.

Felipe Melo then wasted a good chance when he failed to shoot on sight from a right-wing cross. When his eventual shot was blocked, Giovinco caused all sorts of trouble on the left, winning a corner out of nothing as his influence on the game grew further.

The sustained period of pressure suggested Juventus would eventually break through and in the 82nd minute they did thanks to Felipe Melo. Del Piero swung over a cross from the right, and the Brazilian rose high at the far post to head across Consigli and into the back of the net.

Upon scoring, the midfielder gestured for forgiveness from the Juve fans with whom he has shared a troubled relationship of late.

From there Atalanta started to gamble as they pushed forward in search of another equalizer, but if anything Juventus looked more likely to add a third, eventually settling for a much-needed 2-1 victory.