Sunday’s rich Serie A program closes out with a lopsided contest between second-placed Juventus and relegation-battling Cremonese at the Allianz Stadium. A rollercoaster of a season could still finish well for the Bianconeri, who come into proceedings as odds-on favorites to maintain their mini-revival.
Second-half strikes from Samuel Iling Junior and Dusan Vlahovic fired Juventus to a precious 2-0 win at Atalanta last time out. That victory in Bergamo made it back-to-back Serie A wins for Massimiliano Allegri’s side following an underwhelming four-game winless league run (D1, L3). But more importantly, it moved them to second in the standings.
However, there’s no room for complacency. With four games left, Juventus hold a five-point lead on fifth-placed Milan after the absolution of their 15-point deduction. Fatigue could be a problem, though. Federico Gatti’s last-gasp header handed the record-time Italian champions a hard-earned 1-1 home draw against Sevilla in midweek Europa League action.
Thursday’s encounter in Turin left Juve’s semi-final tie against the record-competition winners evenly poised ahead of next week’s second leg in Andalusia. Therefore, Allegri could reach out to the bench again to rest some of his influential first-team members against minnows Cremonese. But the visitors are not messing around these days.
What looked virtually unthinkable at the start of the year is now a remote possibility. La Cremo could secure top-flight survival despite registering their first league victory in late September. Davide Ballardini’s appointment in mid-January has turned the club’s fortunes around. There’s now a glimmer of hope that they can avoid a swift Serie B return.
Last weekend’s 2-0 home win over Spezia helped Cremonese arrest a three-match winless league streak (D1, L2) and stay within a six-point distance of safety. Although survival hopes are not in their hands, the visitors must hold up their end of the bargain to bolster their chances down the final stretch.
Match Preview
Juventus
A goal-glutted first half saw Juventus edge promoted Lecce 2-1 in their last home outing in Serie A. That result established the Bianconeri as the joint-best home team in Italy’s top flight alongside Napoli, with both sides winning 39 points each. Indeed, since the beginning of October, these two teams have claimed a league joint-high ten home wins apiece.
With that in mind, Sunday could be a landmark day for Juventus. If they can live up to their tag as pre-match favorites, the Turin heavyweights will become the first-ever side in Serie A to hit a 4,800-point milestone. Considering they’ve won their last seven home meetings with Cremonese in Serie A by an aggregate score of 21-3, there’s a growing feeling we could witness a piece of history this weekend.
Player to Watch: Dusan Vlahovic
Speaking of history, after finding the net against Atalanta and Lecce, Vlahovic could string together three scoring appearances for Juventus in Serie A for the first time. Overall, you’d have to go back to December 2021 to find the last time he netted on three consecutive occasions.
Cremonese
Barring a 3-0 romping at Udinese in late April, the visitors have gone unbeaten in five of their last six league games (W3, D2). That run includes a stunning 1-1 draw at Juve’s fellow top-four rivals Milan on their most recent league travel, showing Cremonese’s capacity to defy the odds against more highly esteemed opposition.
Sharing the spoils on the road has been their thing in 2022/23. Along with Salernitana, Cremonese have posted a league joint-high eight draws away from home this season. In other circumstances, Ballardini wouldn’t mind walking away from Turin with a point. But given their current situation, anything other than victory would likely cement his side’s second-tier reunion.
Player to Watch: Marco Carnesecchi
Choosing a goalkeeper for our ‘Player to Watch’ section is something that happens every now and then. However, Carnesecchi’s exploits between the sticks have not gone unnoticed. Among keepers in Europe’s top-five leagues, his tally of 80 saves in 2023 is second to none.
Team News
With Gleison Bremer and Mattia De Sciglio on the sidelines with injuries, Allegri faces a selection nightmare at the back. But on the bright side, they are the only high-profile absentees in the Juventus camp going into the intense season finale.
As for Cremonese, Cyriel Dessers and Frank Tsadjout are unavailable due to injuries, leaving Ballardi’s attack crippled on Sunday. In addition to the two strikers, the visitors cannot call upon midfield stalwart Charles Pickel, who picked up a red card against against Milan a fortnight ago.
Juventus vs Cremonese Potential Lineups
Juventus (3-5-2): Wojciech Szczesny; Federico Gatti, Daniele Rugani, Danilo; Juan Cuadrado, Nicolo Fagioli, Leandro Paredes, Fabio Miretti, Samuel Iling Junior; Moise Kean, Dusan Vlahovic.
Cremonese (4-3-1-2): Marco Carnesecchi; Leonardo Sernicola, Vlad Chiriches, Johan Vasquez, Emanuel Valeri; Soualiho Meite, Michele Castagnetti, Benassi; Pablo Galdames; David Okereke, Daniel Ciofani.
Juventus vs Cremonese Prediction
Despite changes in personnel, Allegri’s approach remains consistent, and Juventus should secure three points by taking an early lead against Cremonese and adopting a defensive strategy. With a crucial Europa League match approaching next week, completing the task efficiently and without unnecessary complications is vital.
Prediction: Juventus Win
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