Salernitana vs Juventus Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats

Salernitana will host crisis club Juventus in Serie A, with a win taking the home team above their visitors in the standings.

Salernitana could be in a better place regarding the Serie A standings, but they have the opportunity and possibly momentum to make things right. Davide Nicola’s side sits 16th with 21 points on board, as a win against Juventus would take them above the Turin giants in the table.

Salernitana have the safe cushion of 8 points between them and the relegation zone, but Nicola would want good results on board to get to a more comfortable spot. They have momentum from their recent developments against Lecce after failing to win their four games before that.

Against Lecce, they secured a two-goal cushion early in the game, but the opposition’s fightback resulted in them pulling one back. However, in the end, Nicola’s side held their nerve to collect all three points. They will need this continuity against a struggling Juventus side, but it will prove a tricky affair.

Juventus is not a good place for the players, their manager, or their fans. It’s steadily turning into a season to forget for the Bianconeri, who have picked only a single point in their last three games. Incidentally, those results have faltered since learning about the 15 points deduction after the FIGC ruling.

They have not won a Serie A game since the 7th of January after a narrow victory over Udinese. Since then, Juventus have suffered losses to Napoli and Monza. However, they did find relief by progressing into the Coppa Italia semifinals with a 1-0 win over Lazio.

The 15-point deductions have significantly impacted their league position and the club’s general mood. Since the ruling, they have slipped further down in the table, as a defeat to Salernitana will see them languish below their hosts in the standings.

Team News & Tactics

Salernitana

Nicola will have to contend without key defenders Norbert Gyomber and Federico Fazio. The duo could return only later in February; hence, Salernitana could field an unchanged lineup from their win over Lecce.

Additional absentees include Pasquale Mazzocchi and Giulio Maggiore, who have been out for some time. Nicola could keep the shape of his team, which has played with an attacking 4-3-3. Mexican veteran Guillermo Ochoa will remain in goal and continue his decent form since signing for the club.

A back four will remain in place ahead of the Mexican keeper. William Troost-Ekong and Dylan Bronn will keep their central defensive partnership, while Junior Sambia and Domagoj Bradaric as full-backs on either flank.

Emil Bohinen will marshal the midfield from the holding role and have Lassana Coulibaly and Tonny Vilhena on either side. Veteran Antonio Candreva and Boulaye Dia will provide support from the flanks for central striker Krzysztof Piatek.

Probable lineup (4-3-3) – Ochoa; Sambia, Troost-Ekong, Bronn, Bradaric; Coulibaly, Bohinen, Vilhena; Candreva, Piatek, Dia

Juventus

Juventus will travel without Leonardo Bonucci, Arkadiusz Milik, Paul Pogba, and Kaio Jorge despite some respite with a long list of injured stars. After the Coppa Italia victory, Massimiliano Allegri should make necessary changes to the lineup, with Wojciech Szczesny set to replace Mattia Perin in goal for starters.

A back three comprising Danilo, Gleison Bremer, and Alex Sandro could be relied upon to do the job. Filip Kostic should take the left wing-back role, while the recent return of Juan Cuadrado should find him a place on the right wing.

Manuel Locatelli will assume his place in the holding midfield role, with Nicolo Fagioli and Adrien Rabiot on either side of the Italian international.

Dusan Vlahovic should lead the line for Juventus, as Allegri may prefer to start with something other than Angel Di Maria in the attack. Federico Chiesa should instead begin to work alongside the Serbian in a two-prone front line for the Bianconeri.

Probable Lineup (3-5-2) – Szczesny; Danilo, Bremer, Sandro; Cuadrado, Fagioli, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic; Vlahovic, Chiesa

Key Stats

• Juventus are winless in their last 4 Serie A games.
• Juventus have conceded at least 2 goals in their last 3 matches (Serie A).
• Juventus have scored at least 2 goals in their last 3 matches against Salernitana in all competitions.
• Salernitana ended a 7-game winless streak with a win over Lecce.
• Salernitana could c above Juventus in the standings with a win.

Player to Watch

Gleison Bremer

The central defender joined Juventus in the summer, hoping to replace Matthijs de Ligt and bring about a new phase in his career. Instead, he finds himself in a troubled environment, with the backline struggling for relevance, that has resulted in the club losing valuable points recently.

Juventus have conceded at least 2 goals in each of their last three games, and they miss the leadership qualities of Bonucci. Bremer needs to step up his efforts to become the undisputed leader at the back, and Salernitana should be an excellent place to start that.

Prediction

Salernitana 1-2 Juventus

Juventus need a game to bounce back in Serie A and begin their quest toward an unlikely European place. The Salernitana game will come at a good time for the Bianconeri, as Allegri will angle for a win against the strugglers.

Salernitana has a bit of momentum on their side, but not enough to thwart the threat posed by a wounded giant like Juventus. The game could have twists and turns, but the Bioanconeri could take all three points and start climbing the table from a terrible position.