Thiago Motta’s Juventus will be looking to secure their 10th Serie A win when they hit the road to square up against Como on Friday.
Fifth-placed Juventus will be looking to secure consecutive wins in Serie A for the first time since November when they square up against Como, who are fighting for survival in the Italian top flight.
The home team are 15th on the points table with 22 points in their 23 outings. They have only registered five wins and are heading into this fixture on the back of consecutive defeats in the league. Como are two points clear of the drop zone, and they will be looking to ensure they stay out of it with a positive result against one of the Italian giants.
The visitors have accumulated 40 points in their 23 outings. While the Bianconeri have not been at their best, they were unbeaten in the league before they squared up against Napoli towards the end of January.
Juventus suffered another defeat at the hands of SL Benfica in the UEFA Champions League. However, Thiago Motta’s men bounced back with a 4-1 win over Empoli, and they will be confident of getting the job done against Como. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Como
Como will be without Alieu Fadera, who is suspended for this fixture. Apart from the Gambian winger, Alberto Moreno, Sergi Roberto, Alessandro Gabrielloni, Ignace Van der Brempt, and Mergim Vojvoda are all out injured.
The home team will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Jean Butez will take charge in goal. The back four will be made up of Yannik Engelhardt, Edoardo Goldaniga, Alberto Dossena, and Alex Valle.
As for the midfield unit, Maximo Perrone and Maxence Caqueret will form the double pivot in the middle of the park. The central midfield duo will have a lot of defensive duties as they will look to support the backline.
Nico Paz will be the attacking midfielder, while Gabriel Strefezza and Assane Diao will feature on the flanks providing much-needed width to their attack. Finally, Patrick Cutrone should lead the line for Como against Juventus on Friday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Butez; Engelhardt, Goldaniga, Dossena, Valle; Perrone, Caqueret; Strefezza, Paz, Diao; Cutrone
Juventus
The visitors will be without the services of Pierre Kalulu, Bremer, Juan Cabal, Arkadiusz Milik and Andrea Cambiaso. Thiago Motta’s team will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Michele Di Gregorio should be in goal.
Winter signing Renato Veiga will continue in the heart of the defence alongside Federico Gatti. Nicolo Savona will be the right-back, while Weston McKennie could slot in at left-back for this outing.
In the centre of the park, Manuel Locatelli should partner with Khephren Thuram. They will look to shield the backline and control the tempo of the game. Teun Koopmeiners could feature in the no. 10 role, with Nicolas Gonzalez and Kenan Yıldız on the flanks providing much-needed width to their attacks. Randal Kolo Muani, who joined Juventus this past winter from PSG, should continue to lead the line against Como.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Savona, Gatti, Veiga, McKennie; Locatelli, Thuram; Gonzalez, Koopmeiners, Yildiz; Kolo Muani
Key Stats
- Juventus have the opportunity to secure back-to-back wins in the league for the first time in three months.
- Nico Paz has scored in each of Como’s last four home games.
- Since getting promoted to the Italian top flight, Como have only lost four home games.
- Cesc Fabregas’s team have failed to win any of their last ten home matches against Juventus.
- The Old Lady last lost to the home team back in January 1952.
Player to Watch
Kenan Yildiz
The 19-year-old Turkish international is certainly enjoying the opportunities he has been handed by Thiago Motta. The youngster has already racked up over 2,300 minutes in his 33 outings so far, and he has contributed towards 11 goals. Having failed to make any significant contribution in their last four league games, Yildiz will be eager to get on the scoresheet.
Prediction
Como 0-2 Juventus
Juventus might not have been at their best this season, but they still have enough quality in their ranks to go past a team that is fighting for survival. The Old Lady should be able to make it consecutive wins in Serie A. The home team will try to put up a strong fight, but their recent form suggests they won’t be able to cause an upset here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for the away team.
