Juventus will be keen to give themselves a shot in the arm in the race for the Premier League top four vs Sampdoria on Sunday.
Italian giants Juventus have much work to do vs Sampdoria if they are to retain any hope of a top-four finish in Serie A this season.
The Bianconeri have lost just five games this season, a tally that is better than only league leaders Napoli. However, their points deduction leaves them in the seventh spot, 12 points off fourth-placed Lazio.
The loss to fellow top-four hopefuls AS Roma last weekend did not help matters. But Juventus have little time to dawdle on missed opportunities. They now face a struggling Sampdoria that look destined for the drop and are rock bottom in Serie A.
Anything less than a win for the home side will be seen as a surprise and should more or less drive in the final nail regarding qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League. It will also represent a new nadir in Massimiliano Allegri’s second term as Juventus boss.
An unlikely win for the visitors might not get them out of the bottom three anytime soon. But it could prove to be a decisive moment to improve morale and maybe put in a memorable final run of results this season. For now, the game on paper is one of David vs Goliath. But knowing Juventus and their ability to fail to show up, the odds might appear closer than they seem.
The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Juventus
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Massimiliano Allegri will be hopeful of using the midweek Europa League success over SC Freiburg as a springboard to get their Serie A campaign back on track. He might, however, have to do so without Federico Chiesa and Angel Di Maria, both of whom picked up knocks. The latter, however, has a better chance of featuring than the former.
It is not all bad news as Paul Pogba is expected to return to the squad following his midweek admission. Disciplinary issues aside, the Frenchman’s return should add an iota of dynamism to a midfield that has at times lacked inspiration.
Brazilian defender Alex Sandro is yet to recover from a thigh injury and is unlikely to feature. This could see either Mattia De Sciglio or Leonardo Bonucci return to the lineup. Juventus’s options upfront are even more limited, with Arkadiusz Milik injured and Moise Kean out suspended.
A 3-5-2 formation appears to be in order with Wojciech Szczesny in goal. The trio of Gleison Bremer, Bonucci and Danilo should anchor the backline, with Manuel Locatelli playing deeper from midfield. This should allow the quartet of Juan Cuadrado, Nicolo Fagioli, Adrien Rabiot and Filip Kostic to dictate terms in the middle of the park and provide the push upfield.
No player has created more opportunities in Serie A than Di Maria this season, and the Argentine will be expected to start alongside Vlahovic upfront. Fabio Miretti is also in contention to take Di Maria’s place should Allegri deem so.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Szczesny; Bremer, Bonucci, Danilo; Cuadrado, Fagioli, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic; Di Maria; Vlahovic
Sampdoria
The Serie A bottom feeders have had a horrible season where the ball has just refused to go into the goal. With the lowest number of goals scored for any side in the top five leagues, the trip to Turin will present a considerable challenge.
They will be without Emil Audero, the first-choice goalkeeper, who sustained a very bad shoulder injury. Thankfully there is also good news in the offing with Manolo Gabbiadini and Filip Djuricic in contention to feature.
A 3-4-1-2 formation appears likely on the cards with Nicola Ravaglia in goal. Alessandro Zanoli, Bram Nuytinck and Bruno Amione should form the backline, with Mehdi Leris and Tommaso Augello providing width as the wing-backs. The duo will also be tasked with keeping Juan Cuadrado and Filip Kostic in check, cutting off supply to Dusan Vlahovic upfront.
⚽ #JuveSamp
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📅 12 marzo
⏰ 20.45
📍 "Allianz Stadium"
📺 Live su @DAZN_IT
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Harry Winks and Tomas Rincon will provide the muscle in the middle of the park, providing the springboard for Michael Cuisance and Jese Rodriguez the opportunity to craft goalscoring opportunities. Gabbiadini’s return should give Leonardo Bonucci and co. something to worry about and also give the visitors a shot at springing a surprise.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Ravaglia; Zanoli Nuytinck, Amione; Leris, Winks, Rincon, Augello; Cuisance; Rodriguez, Gabbiadini
Key Stats
- Avoiding defeat on the night will see Sampdoria go unbeaten vs Juventus over the course of a Serie A campaign for the first time since 2012/13.
- A win for Juventus on the night will see them win eight straight Serie A games vs Sampdoria for the first time since 1947-1953.
- A loss on the night will see Juventus lose consecutive Serie A games for just the third time under Massimiliano Allegri in his second term in Turin.
- Sampdoria have scored just 11 goals in Serie A this season, the least of any side in Europe’s top five leagues.
- Juventus have not gone two straight Serie A games without scoring since 2012.
Player to Watch
Dusan Vlahovic
With Arkadiusz Milik and Moise Kean unavailable, the onus is on Vlahovic to lead the line. The Serb has seen his form fall off a cliff and is now four Serie A games without a goal. He has never gone five matches without a goal since moving to Italy and will be keen to achieve that dubious record.
The 23-year-old has been linked with a move away from Turin. And unless he gets his mojo back on track, could see his value drop. In Sampdoria, he faces one of the poorer defences in the league and one that is lacking morale. With tougher times to come, there is no better time than now for Vlahovic to start scoring.
Prediction
Juventus 1-0 Sampdoria
Juventus are the home side and have the upper hand in terms of quality to secure the win. They are likely to be pushed by Sampdoria, who are fighting for their lives but appear set to secure all three points on the night, in most likelihood from a dead ball opportunity. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-0 win for Massimiliano Allegri and his charges.
