Juventus will be heavy favourites when they face Pisa in Serie A on Saturday night.
Juventus arrive in Tuscany on Saturday evening with momentum finally back on their side, looking to close the year on a high after months of uncertainty and internal recalibration. Once drifting dangerously between ambition and underachievement, the Bianconeri now sense an opportunity to turn recovery into real momentum as they face a Pisa side battling for survival.
What was once a turbulent campaign is slowly beginning to resemble a revival. Since the managerial change earlier in the season, Juventus have rediscovered rhythm and resilience, stringing together a run that suggests stability is returning to Turin.
The early weeks under new leadership were uneven, but recent results point to a clear upward trend. Juventus have now won three consecutive matches across all competitions, including two statement victories in Serie A that have re-established their credentials among Italy’s elite.
Back-to-back league wins over direct rivals have underlined their resurgence. Most recently, they followed up a gritty success in Bologna with a composed victory over Roma in Turin, a match in which they combined defensive discipline with clinical attacking play. Goals from Francisco Conceicao and Lois Openda sealed the win, with the latter finally opening his Serie A account in emphatic fashion.
That victory marked their sixth win in seven matches across all competitions, a sharp contrast to the frustrating run of draws that had previously stalled their progress. The turnaround has also boosted their European campaign, where qualification for the knockout stages now appears increasingly likely.
Juventus currently sit fifth in the league table, just four points behind leaders Inter Milan. While the Scudetto race remains crowded, the Bianconeri are once again close enough to apply pressure, especially if their momentum continues through the festive period.
History offers little comfort to Pisa ahead of this encounter. The Tuscan side have never beaten Juventus in top-flight competition, failing to do so in 14 previous meetings. Their last home clash against the Turin giants dates back more than three decades, when Roberto Baggio and Pierluigi Casiraghi inspired a dominant 5-1 Juventus victory.
While such distant memories carry limited tactical relevance, they reinforce the psychological weight of the occasion for a Pisa side still searching for belief at this level. Life back in Serie A has proven far harsher than anticipated for Pisa.
After a respectable opening to the campaign, their form has dipped alarmingly in recent weeks. Three defeats in their last four matches have dragged them toward the bottom of the table, and only a late equaliser last weekend spared them another damaging loss.
Alberto Gilardino’s men sit 19th, with only one win to their name and just a single goal scored at the Arena Garibaldi since promotion. Even local rivals have begun to pull away, leaving Pisa increasingly isolated in the relegation battle.
While they have shown moments of resilience, especially when playing on the front foot, their inability to convert chances and manage game states has proven costly. Against a Juventus side growing in confidence, margins will be brutally thin.
The visitors are unlikely to approach this fixture recklessly. With confidence returning but consistency still fragile, control will be the priority. Pisa, meanwhile, may attempt to disrupt rhythm early and feed off home support, but their lack of cutting edge remains a concern.
If Juventus impose their tempo early, the gap in quality and experience should eventually tell. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how the clubs could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Pisa SC
Pisa head into this demanding fixture with several notable absences that continue to test Alberto Gilardino’s squad depth. Their leading scorer, M’Bala Nzola, remains unavailable due to his involvement with Angola at the Africa Cup of Nations, depriving the hosts of their primary attacking reference point.
Midfield options are also reduced, with Ebenezer Akinsanmiro representing Nigeria at the same tournament, further thinning Pisa’s central options during a crucial phase of the season. In addition, long-term injury concerns persist. Juan Cuadrado remains sidelined with a hamstring issue, while Calvin Stengs continues his recovery from an adductor problem.
Neither player is expected to feature, limiting Gilardino’s flexibility in wide areas and creative zones. Aside from those absences, Pisa have avoided fresh injury setbacks and will otherwise field a largely familiar lineup. With Nzola unavailable, much of the attacking responsibility is expected to fall on Stefano Moreo, who has quietly been one of Pisa’s more effective contributors this season.
The forward has registered four goal involvements in Serie A, including a decisive late impact off the bench in the previous round. However, none of those contributions have come at home, highlighting the challenge Pisa face in converting pressure into tangible output at the Arena Garibaldi.
Pisa are expected to line up in a 3-5-2 system, a shape that prioritises compactness and defensive security while allowing for width through the wing-backs. Adrian Semper is set to start in goal, providing experience and composure behind a three-man defence.
The backline should consist of Simone Canestrelli, Antonio Caracciolo, and Giovanni Bonfanti, with Caracciolo operating as the central organiser and the other two tasked with covering the channels and stepping into midfield when required.
In midfield, Idrissa Toure is likely to operate on the right flank, with Isak Vural and Michel Aebischer forming the central partnership. Gabriele Piccinini is expected to provide energy and ball progression from deeper areas, while Samuele Angori offers width and crossing threat from the left side.
Up front, Pisa are likely to pair Matteo Tramoni with Henrik Meister. Tramoni is expected to operate between the lines, linking midfield to attack, while Meister provides physical presence and a focal point inside the penalty area.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Semper; Canestrelli, Caracciolo, Bonfanti; Toure, Vural, Piccinini, Aebischer, Angori; Tramoni, Meister
Juventus
Juventus travel to Pisa with growing confidence, buoyed by a recent upturn in results and increasing tactical clarity under their new leadership. Unlike their hosts, the Bianconeri are not dealing with significant international absences, but they do remain without a couple of key squad members due to injury.
Recent weeks have seen Juventus grow more compact and assertive, particularly in central areas, with the midfield unit offering greater protection to the back line. That structural improvement has allowed the attacking players greater freedom, leading to a notable increase in chance creation and goal output.
Juventus are expected to line up in a 3-4-2-1 system, a shape that has brought balance between defensive security and attacking fluidity. Michele Di Gregorio is set to start in goal, providing calm distribution and reliability between the posts.
The back three should consist of Pierre Kalulu, Gleison Bremer, and Lloyd Kelly. Bremer anchors the defence centrally, using his physical presence and aerial dominance, while Kalulu and Kelly provide mobility and cover on either side, allowing Juventus to defend wide spaces effectively.
Across midfield, Weston McKennie is expected to operate on the right flank, offering energy, pressing, and late runs into the box, while Andrea Cambiaso fills the left-sided role, tasked with providing width and support in advanced areas.
In the central midfield pairing, Manuel Locatelli will dictate tempo from deep, supported by Khephren Thuram, whose ball-carrying ability and physical presence help drive Juventus forward through transitions.
Ahead of them, Francisco Conceicao and Kenan Yildiz are likely to operate as the two attacking midfielders, drifting between the lines and linking play with the lone striker. Their movement is key to unsettling defensive blocks and creating overloads in central areas. Leading the line, Openda is expected to spearhead the attack. His pace, pressing intensity, and willingness to run in behind give Juventus a constant threat, particularly on the counter-attack.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly; McKennie, Locatelli, Thuram, Cambiaso; Conceicao, Yildiz; Openda
Key Stats
- Juventus are unbeaten in their last 14 top-flight meetings with Pisa, winning 10 of those encounters and drawing the remaining four, underlining a historically dominant head-to-head record.
- Pisa have scored just one home goal since returning to Serie A, highlighting their struggles at the Arena Garibaldi despite competitive performances.
- Juventus have won six of their last seven matches across all competitions, collecting more victories in that stretch than they managed across the previous 16 fixtures combined.
- The Bianconeri have conceded fewer than one goal per game over their last eight matches.
- Pisa have taken just one point from their last four league fixtures, while Juventus have collected 18 points from the same period.
Player to Watch
Jonathan David
Although not always the headline name, Jonathan David remains one of the most intelligent and efficient forwards in European football, and his presence could prove decisive in this encounter. The Canadian international thrives on movement rather than physical dominance, constantly finding pockets of space between defensive lines and punishing even the slightest lapse in concentration.
David’s greatest strength lies in his timing. He excels at arriving late into dangerous areas, often ghosting between centre-backs or drifting into channels where defenders lose track of him. This makes him particularly dangerous against teams that defend deep but lose structure during transitions, a scenario that Pisa have struggled with throughout the season.
What also elevates David’s threat is his ability to contribute beyond goals. He links play intelligently, presses from the front with discipline, and creates space for teammates through unselfish movement. Against a Pisa backline that has shown vulnerability when pulled out of shape, his mobility and sharp decision-making could be decisive.
If Juventus are to impose control and turn pressure into goals, Jonathan David’s movement, composure, and instinct inside the box may well be the difference-maker on the night. Considering he will likely come off the bench, his impact will hold the key this weekend.
Prediction
Pisa SC 0-2 Juventus
Juventus arrive with momentum, structure, and far greater clarity in their play, while Pisa continue to struggle for consistency and goals, particularly at home. The contrast in squad depth, tactical discipline, and confidence is difficult to ignore, especially given Juventus’ recent defensive solidity and growing efficiency in front of goal.
Pisa may show early resistance and energy, but sustaining that intensity over 90 minutes against a side as composed as Juventus will be a significant challenge. Once the visitors settle into their rhythm, their superior movement and control in midfield should begin to tell.
