Serie A leaders Juventus will aim to keep hold of their position at the table’s summit as they host Empoli, struggling to get out of the relegation zone.
Massimiliano Allegri will want his Juventus side to seize the opportunity to pressure Inter Milan in the Serie A title race. With the Nerrazzuri playing in Saudi Arabia, The Bianconeri took their chance with a stellar win over Lecce to go a point clear at the top.
Allegri’s men are in a fantastic position to keep up the pressure as they face Empoli on the weekend. After that, they take on Inter Milan, as wins in these two games could ensure Juventus the top spot on the table, albeit with a slender advantage.
🇵🇹🤝⚪⚫ pic.twitter.com/YNHwNERnSc
— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) January 25, 2024
Juventus are also in a terrific run of form, with this being only the 10th top-flight season where they have accumulated 50 or more points after 21 games. This Empoli clash will have a lot of importance for Allegri, as the Juventus boss will demand nothing less than a win and then head to the San Siro with their foot on the gas.
As Juventus formulate a plan to tighten their grip at the summit, Empoli struggles to get out of the relegation zone. They ended the previous matchday with a stunning victory over Monza, but it did not help with their quest to rise.
The Monza win was also a dream start for new manager Davide Nicola, who replaced Aurelio Andreazzoli after the loss to Hellas Verona. However, the new boss will have a lot of work ahead as he must formulate a plan to help Empoli manoeuvre out of their current spot inside the relegation zone, and what better way to make that statement than with a win over Juventus?
While that task may seem significant, there should be pressure on Nicola, who has taken up this task of helping Empoli come out of their worst start to a Serie A campaign. That win over Monza may have helped them in that regard, as the gap between them and 17th-placed Caglari is only two points, and one or two good results can help them climb out of the bottom three.
Team News & Tactics
Juventus
Allegri does not have too many problems with his squad and may have no complaints about those missing out, considering how well his side is playing at the moment. Adrien Rabiot will miss this clash, too, after being absent from the Lecce encounter.
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— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) January 26, 2024
Federico Chiesa continues to spend time on the sidelines with a muscular problem, which will keep him out of the Empoli clash. Fabio Miretti should continue in that midfield space left by Rabiot, while Moise Kean could be unavailable amid his links to Atletico Madrid.
New signing Tiago Djalo might not force his way into the starting lineup yet, as Allegri will not look to meddle with his defensive setup too much. This means that Federico Gatti, Gleison Bremer and Danilo will keep their place at the back.
Manuel Locatelli and Weston McKennie are primed to take the other midfield roles, while Andrea Cambiasso and Filip Kostic take wingback roles. Up front, in-form goalscorer Dusan Vlahovic will take his place alongside rookie forward Kenan Yildiz.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2) – Szczesny; Gatti, Bremer, Danilo; Cambiasso, McKennie, Locatelli, Miretti, Kostic; Vlahovic, Yildiz
Empoli
Veteran strikers Francesco Caputo and Mattia Destro were ruled out of the visit to Turin with angle and muscular problems, respectively. There are further problems for Empoli with offensive trio Giuseppe Pezzella, Simone Bastoni, and Tyronne Ebuehi, who are all sidelined, too.
📸 🔜 Tomorrow #JuventusEmpoli pic.twitter.com/vq654TGzXL
— Empoli Football Club Official (@EmpoliFC) January 26, 2024
Empoli will have Lazio loanee Matteo Cancellieri return from suspension, while manager Nicola will reply on ever-present centre-back Sebastiano Luperto to marshall the backline.
Nicola will want another stellar performance from new arrival Szymon Zurkowski, who scored a hattrick against Monza. He will play alongside Alberto Grassi and Razvan Marin in central midfield.
Empoli will rely on a back three and wingbacks, an identical system to Juventus. Alberto Cerri and Nicolo Cambiaghi will lead the line in the attack, hoping to trouble the otherwise stellar Bianconeri backline.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2) – Caprile; Walukiewicz, Ismajli, Luperto; Bereszynski, Zurkowski, Grassi, Marin, Cacace; Cerri, Cambiaghi
Key Stats
- Juventus have won 11 of their last 13 matches against Empoli in all competitions.
- Juventus are undefeated in their last 16 matches in Serie A.
- Juventus have kept a clean sheet in 5 of their last 6 home matches against Empoli in all competitions.
- Empoli are only 2 points behind 17th-placed Cagliari.
- Empoli’s 16 points at this stage of the season is their joint-worst start to a Serie A campaign.
Player to Watch
Dusan Vlahovic
There is no stopping Vlahovic right now 9️⃣🇷🇸 pic.twitter.com/zbWoiU3Y4k
— Black&White🦓 (@Jfamily3502) January 24, 2024
The Serbian has come into top form late and has hit four goals in his last two games. This is the kind of run Allegri and everyone else dreamed for Vlahovic to have, as he’s finally putting aside speculation and performing like a big-money signing.
His form and goals will significantly influence how Juventus perform in the remainder of the season, as they are keen to keep their place at the summit and win the Scudetto. For now, Vlahovic will aim to have another scoring run in the league as he hopes to dismantle the Empoli defence.
Prediction
Juventus 3-0 Empoli
The away side might come into this clash with some confidence owing to their victory over Monza, but Juventus are a different gravy altogether. The Bianconeri will be seen as outright favourites to clinch three points and keep their place at the top of the table.
Empoli are currently fighting very hard to get out of their relegation zone, and while they may have the feeling of a new manager bounce, beating Juventus will not be straightforward. Hence, the Bianconeri are expected to breeze past Nicola’s side and keep a clean sheet.
