Juventus will be in with a fantastic opportunity to finish the weekend in the top two in Serie A standings when they host Hellas Verona in Turin.
Massimiliano Allegri refuses to accept his side are in the hunt for the Scudetto despite the fact that they could potentially end the weekend among the top two. A win on Saturday over Hellas Verona would take Juventus on top, albeit until Sunday, as the Milan clubs only have their games on Sunday.
Juventus secured a crucial win over AC Milan last weekend, courtesy of Manuel Locatelli’s solitary strike deciding the contest at San Siro. Allegri will take the positives from the game and look to start pushing the Milan clubs to the top, especially considering the Bianconeri do not have European football to worry about this season.
Alle 14:00 Mister Allegri presenta #JuveVerona in conferenza stampa 🎙️
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— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) October 27, 2023
The game to Hellas Verona should be taken in all seriousness by Juventus if they wish to start challenging for the title. While Allegri might brush aside the idea of a title challenge, in truth, they are in the mix and could add some seriousness with a win on Saturday and going top, even for a short period.
While Juventus aim to gun down the top order, Hellas Verona comes into this contest hoping they do not drop near to that dreaded relegation zone. There is only a tiny gap of two points between them, and 18th placed Udinese, with a defeat and results elsewhere, could push them near to the danger zone.
An abysmal run of results in the league has continued to haunt Verona, with their most recent win coming against AS Roma in August. They have gone seven games without a win, and last weekend, visitors Napoli put them to the sword with a clinical performance.
Their dismal record against Juventus will not fill manager Marco Baroni with any confidence, but he must try his best to change that. The Verona have not won in their previous 32 away games against the Bianconeri, and these are the sort of records that need immediate changing if they wish to turn their fortunes around this season.
Team News & Tactics
Juventus
Massimiliano Allegri continues to miss some of his key defensive players but will hope the ones available will get the job done this weekend. Brazilian pair Danilo and Alex Sandro remain absent from the squad, while Mattia De Sciglio remains out at least until 2024.
Kenan ➡️ Dušan 🎯 pic.twitter.com/6PdfR3Xs5w
— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) October 26, 2023
Those three, along with midfielders Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli, are the current absentees for Juventus. The duo will unlikely play again this season, with the former also with a chance to see his contract terminated owing to a failed doping test.
Allegri tested highly-rated Dutch defender Dean Huijsen as a substitute. But the manager might choose to continue with Daniele Rugani in place of Danilo. Federico Gatti and Gleison Bremer will complete the back three, with Timothy Weah and Filip Kostic likely to slot in those wing-back roles.
Allegri kept Federico Chiesa and Dusan Vlahovic on the bench in the last game. But the Serb might return to the starting lineup to replace Arkadiusz Milik. Moise Kean will keep his place in the front two, while behind him, Manuel Locatelli, Adrien Rabiot, and Weston McKennie will complete the midfield setup.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Szczesny; Gatti, Bremer, Rugani; Weah, McKennie, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic; Vlahovic, Kean
Hellas Verona
Marco Baroni will more likely replicate Massimiliano Allegri’s formation with his Verona side and look to match their opponents step by step. The only difference with their formation is the usage of their attacking players, with Verona deploying three in those areas.
Ecco i 2️⃣5⃣ convocati di mister #Baroni per #JuveVerona 🟡🔵#SerieATIM #DaiVerona pic.twitter.com/oIdAMras3v
— Hellas Verona FC (@HellasVeronaFC) October 27, 2023
On the injury front, Baroni does not have much concern with his squad. Only Juan Cabal, Isak Hien and Jayden Braaf are out of the contest. The former duo could even go through an assessment before the match to determine their ability to make the matchday squad.
Milan Djuric will stand a chance to keep leading the line for Verona, although Baroni also has the option of Federico Bonazzoli but will choose the former. Cyril Ngonge and Darko Lazovic are the other players to complete the attacking setup for Verona.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Montipo; Terracciano, Dawidowicz, Magnani; Faraoni, Duda, Folorunsho, Doig; Lazovic, Ngonge; Djuric
Key Stats
- Juventus have won 12 of their last 13 home matches against Verona in all competitions.
- Juventus have kept a clean sheet in their last four matches in Serie A.
- Juventus have also kept a clean sheet in their last three games against Verona and have scored in their last 20 games against the same opponent.
- Verona have gone without a win through 32 previous away matches against Juventus.
- Verona have been losing at both half-time and full-time in five of their last seven matches in Serie A.
Player to Watch
Dusan Vlahovic
Federico Chiesa has trained with the group this week and aims to partner Dusan Vlahovic in attack against Hellas Verona on Saturday. #Juventus (@tuttosport) pic.twitter.com/ClJ5iN2DJm
— JuveFC (@juvefcdotcom) October 26, 2023
After a smashing start to the season, Vlahovic has gone quiet with his output. He has gone the last three games without a goal while missing two clashes with a back issue. There is a dire need for Juventus to get their striker firing on all cylinders.
Vlahovic will also be itching to get off the mark after a dry spell, and this clash against Verona might come at a brilliant time. He will also know the ramifications to Juventus in the title race, as his goals can fire them to the top of the league, albeit momentarily on Saturday.
Prediction
Juventus 2-0 Hellas Verona
Marco Baroni’s men are thoroughly struggling, and big games like this against a strong opposition will not do their chances any good. Having not won in a long time, Hellas Verona might struggle for relevance in Turin, which could see the home side take three points.
Massimiliano Allegri’s men, on the other hand, have had a few good games on the run, and their defensive stance has been very good. They will aim to keep another clean sheet here, while the potential return of Dusan Vlahovic from the start will elevate their attacking quality ahead of this clash.
