Juventus will be desperate to return to winning ways when they welcome Genoa to the Allianz Stadium on Sunday.
The 2023/24 Serie A season has resumed this week with Matchday 29. Sunday will bring us five matches before we pause for the international break. And the action on the day will kick off at the Allianz Stadium, where a struggling Juventus will host Genoa.
Juventus had seemingly overcome the issues of recent seasons in the first half of the 2023/24 campaign. The Bianconeri looked like the best bet to challenge Inter Milan for the Serie A title, especially considering they did not have any European commitments. But they have won only one of their last seven games to fall to third on the table, a point behind AC Milan, with Bologna only four points behind.
As for Genoa, they have been in the lower mid-table throughout the 2023/24 season, with their return to the top flight proving successful thus far. Alberto Gilardino has overseen a solid campaign thus far, although they are on a similar run to Juventus. The visitors have won only one of their last six Serie A games but have lost just one spot during this run.
The reverse fixture ended in a 1-1 draw, with Genoa coming from a goal down to hold Juventus to a stalemate. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Juventus
Massimiliano Allegri has greeted several positive updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Genoa on Sunday, the Juventus manager will be bereft of the services of four first-team players.
The Italian tactician has Dusan Vlahovic back from a suspension after he missed last weekend’s game against Atalanta. In addition, Mattia Perin and Adrien Rabiot have resumed this week and should be in the matchday squad on Sunday.
So, Mattia De Sciglio (knee) and Carlos Alcaraz (hamstring) are the only players in the treatment room. Meanwhile, Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli are serving suspensions for different reasons and will not play again this season.
Wojciech Szczesny should take his spot between the sticks, with Juventus lining up in a 3-5-2 formation in front of him against Genoa. The central defensive unit should feature Federico Gatti, Gleison Bremer, and Danilo. Meanwhile, Andrea Cambiaso and Samuel Iling-Junior will likely start as the two wing-backs.
As for the midfield unit, the fit-again Rabiot should feature, joining Manuel Locatelli and Weston McKennie in the middle of the park. The latter will provide the creative spark from the central areas. Finally, Federico Chiesa and Vlahovic should be the two attackers for the home side.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Szczesny; Gatti, Bremer, Danilo; Cambiaso, McKennie, Locatelli, Rabiot, Iling-Junior; Chiesa, Vlahovic
Genoa
Unlike his counterpart in the Juventus dugout, Alberto Gilardino has greeted a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Genoa manager will be without three first-team players.
The good news is Johan Vasquez is available after serving a one-match ban last weekend. But Stefano Sabelli is now on the sidelines after picking up a suspension due to an accumulation of yellow cards. The Italian defender has joined Aaron Martin (knee) and Alan Matturro (muscle injury) on the sidelines.
Genoa will line up in a similar formation to Juventus, with the only difference being the presence of Albert Gudmundsson behind central striker Mateo Retegui instead of featuring alongside him in the final third.
Josep Martinez will take his spot between the sticks, with the central defensive unit featuring Koni De Winter, Mattia Bani, and Vasquez. As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Junior Messias, Milan Badelj, and Ruslan Malinovskyi. The trio will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Finally, Morten Frendrup and Djed Spence should be the two wing-backs.
Probable Lineup (3-5-1-1): Martinez; De Winter, Bani, Vasquez; Frendrup, Messias, Badelj, Malinovskyi, Spence; Gudmundsson; Retegui
Key Stats
- Genoa are unbeaten in their last two Serie A games against Juventus (W1 D1), last going without a defeat longer in the competition between February 1990 and October 1991 (four matches).
- After playing out a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture, Juventus and Genoa can end up with two stalemates in the same Serie A campaign for only the third time.
- Juventus are unbeaten in their last 19 home games against Genoa in Serie A (W15 D4), conceding an average of only 0.6 goals per game across the period while keeping ten clean sheets.
- Juventus have managed only six points in their last seven Serie A games (W1 D3 L3), with only four teams managing fewer points than them during this period.
- Genoa have lost their last two Serie A games and can record three successive defeats for the first time this season. Their three defeats in their most recent five league matches are the same as in their previous 14 (W5 D6).
Player to Watch
Dusan Vlahovic
Amid a sub-par run of form, scoring multiple goals to blow their opponents away has been one of the issues for the hosts. While Juventus’s defensive frailties have become a talking point, they also need more consistency from those in front of the backline. But that is not the case with Dusan Vlahovic.
The Serb has been in decent touch in recent outings, amassing nine goals and one assist in his last eight Serie A outings. Juventus missed Vlahovic last weekend against Atalanta and will be glad to have him back from a suspension. Meanwhile, the former Fiorentina striker will be eager to stamp his authority and guide his team to a much-needed win.
Prediction
Juventus 1-1 Genoa
Sunday’s early match features two teams that have been among the worst sides on form in the last few weeks. Juventus and Genoa have only one win in their most recent six matches, making this a must-win clash for them.
But with their defensive frailties holding them back, Juventus and Genoa will endure another frustrating result this weekend. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 draw between the two teams, adding to the pressure on Massimiliano Allegri.
