Antonio Conte returns to his old stomping grounds as he brings his Napoli side to Turin to take on Juventus in a blockbuster clash in Turin.
Two teams with new managers are looking for a statement victory this season as an unbeaten Juventus side takes on Antonio Conte’s Napoli. With Thiago Motta at the helm after replacing Massimiliano Allegri, the former Italian midfielder has coached some strong performances this season.
After four Serie A games, Juventus have managed two victories and back-to-back draws, but they are yet to concede a goal this season. Motta will have firm eyes on continuing that record, although there are questions raised about their attacking performances after two goalless draws with AS Roma and Empoli.
Juventus did get back to winning ways with a statement victory over PSV Eindhoven following their return to the Champions League after a year out of the competition. However, Motta will hope their form continues from midweek, as Juventus take on the formidable challenge of facing Conte’s Napoli side.
While this is not the first time that Conte visits Juventus with another team, the former manager’s return always is an ocassion and probably even generates headlines. After a difficult summer window sorting out the future of Victor Osimhen, Conte faced a baptism of fire on his first Serie A game in charge of Napoli.
After a problematic win on penalties over Modena in the first round of the Coppa Italia, Napoli lost their opening weekend in Serie A to Hellas Verona, which added to the pressure on Conte. However, they have since won their next three games in Serie A to climb into the second spot on the table and a point behind early leaders Udinese.
The trip to Turin will be a difficult one for Conte, and he will look for a positive result and keep their gap with Juventus on the table. Either way, the former Juventus boss will be pleased with a statement victory, as his Napoli side are in a good vein of form coming here.
Team News & Tactics
Juventus
Having only been a year out of the UEFA Champions League, some of the players have never tasted this sort of atmosphere, and hence, Thiago Motta may look to make minor rotations. Arkadiusz Milik and Francisco Conceicao are the only absentees from the squad.
Federico Gatti suffered an injury on Tuesday, but he will be expected to be fit, although the experienced Danilo is available to deputise if needed. Stars like Khepren Thuram and Douglas Luiz will be pushing for a start ahead of this game against Napoli, although Motta might bring in the latter alongside Manuel Locatelli in central midfield.
Despite scoring in midweek, Weston McKennie could drop down to the bench to accommodate the former Aston Villa man. Teun Koopmeiners will continue his impressive start to life at the club in his customary No.10 role and try to influence the play as much as possible. Dusan Vlahovic will also want to get on the scoresheet, as he will be supported by Kenan Yildiz and Nico Gonzalez from either wing.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Gatti, Bremer, Cabal; Luiz, Locatelli; Gonzalez, Koopmeiners, Yildiz; Vlahovic
Napoli
Antonio Conte will have a full complement of players as he continues to assert his print on this squad and continue their winning run in Serie A. The former Juventus boss has immediately implemented his three-at-the-back shape at Napoli, as the players are getting used to the new setup and have performed well in recent times.
Amir Rrahmani will marshall the back three alongside Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Alessandro Buongiorno while having Pasquale Mazzocchi and Leonardo Spinazzola as his preferred choices in the wing-back berths.
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Stanislav Lobotka are well versed in the central midfield roles and will start here, as former Premier League pair Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay will provide the depth there from the bench.
Georgian attacker Khvicha Kvaratskhelia may have had to modify his role from being an out-and-out winger to more inside forward, as he will look to improve in that role alongside Matteo Politano, who is in the same predicament.
New arrival Romelu Lukaku will want to achieve a career-first of scoring in his opening three games for his new club, something he has never done anywhere before with his long list of top clubs when he leads the line for Napoli against Juventus.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Buongiorno, Rrahmani; Mazzocchi, Anguissa, Lobotka, Spinazzola; Politano, Kvaratskhelia; Lukaku
Key Stats
- Juventus are undefeated in their last 12 matches in Serie A.
- Juventus have kept a clean sheet in their last five matches in Serie A, including in all 4 of this season’s fixtures.
- Napoli have won their last three Serie A games and are second on the table behind Udinese.
- Romelu Lukaku has never scored in each of his first three games at any club he has played.
Player to Watch
Romelu Lukaku
There will be a set of Napoli fans who will not be convinced about Lukaku just yet, although the striker has scored in his first two games for Napoli so far. He has never scored in three opening games for a new club in his career, something he will want to achieve this time around and could have a fair chance to do so.
The big story here is to see how he replaces the aura of former striker Osimhen and fills the void left by the Nigerian. A top-notch performance against Juventus will go a long way in endearing him to the Napoli fanbase and also improve the chances for the Partenopei to have a probable title challenge on their cards.
Prediction
Juventus 1-0 Napoli
Napoli have every reason to come into the game against Juventus full of confidence and even dream of getting a win. Antonio Conte’s experience will play a significant role, although his players need to do the talking on the pitch, as he looks for a statement victory. While the Partenopei might have won their last three Serie A games, they face a challenging task to shake Juventus off their perch, especially at their home.
Juventus might not have the desired results over the course of the last few weeks, but they are defensively resilient to ward off the threat posed by any team they have faced so far. Thiago Motta will once again emphasise his backline to keep a clean sheet and while achieving that, he will want his attackers to stay alert to any opportunities that arrive. The Bianconeri are expected to nick this one with a 1-0 scoreline.