Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri says it was vital for his team to get all three points after Roma's win at home against Verona.
The Bianconeri shrugged off a difficult start to the game against Atalanta to win 0-3 and move back to the top of the Italian Serie A.
"It was an important win because we replied to Roma's win [in the afternoon]," Allegri told reporters after the game.
"It wasn't easy, winning here is never easy. Atalanta is always aggressive, especially when they play at home, they can be dangerous and you have to be focused for the full 90 minutes.
"They started well, we struggled in the early stages of the game but we slowly took control and we deserved to win.
"[Arturo] Vidal is a key player for this Juventus team, he was before and will be again this season.
"He didn't train as much as he wanted due to injuries, he underwent surgery then was away on international duty so he wasn't fit to play the full 90 minutes. My job is to help him reach the ideal fitness level without suffering any new injuries."
Juventus face Atletico Madrid on Wednesday and Allegri knows his players have to be at their best if they are to get all three points from the Vicente Calderon.
"We will now shift our focus to Wednesday, we will play against a team that won the Spanish Liga and lost the Champions League final with a minute and a half left on the clock.
"We must know that this game is pivotal for us if we want to reach the next round, we will try to play a good game in terms of technical level because we know that's the only way to block such a physical team, especially when they play at home."
