Sunday’s Serie A program draws to a close at the Allianz Stadium with a mammoth encounter between Juventus and Napoli. The sides experienced contrasting fortunes in midweek European action, which could set the home side up nicely for this ‘top-four six-pointer.’
Following a 1-0 first-leg win in Turin, Juventus held Sporting CP to a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture in Lisbon on Thursday to progress into the Europa League semi-finals as 2-1 aggregate winners. But the record-time Italian champions recorded another significant off-field success on the same day, as the CONI’s College of Guarantee revoked their 15-point punishment.
With their sentence suspended until further notice, Juventus commence this round in third, six points clear of fifth-placed Milan. However, Massimiliano Allegri’s men have not fared well in Serie A lately. After a 2-1 defeat at Lazio, the Bianconeri succumbed to a narrow 1-0 loss at Sassuolo last weekend. As a result, they stare down the barrel of a three-game losing streak in the top flight for the first time since 2011.
In other circumstances, Napoli’s visit to Turin would spell more trouble for Juventus. The visitors are on the verge of landing their first Serie A title in 33 years as they enter this matchday a whopping 14 points clear of second-placed Lazio despite wasting points in April. Indeed, Luciano Spalletti’s men have seemingly let complacency get the better of them.
Napoli have won just once in their three league outings since the start of April (D1, L1), failing to get on the scoresheet in both winless affairs. Reigning champions Milan may have landed a hammering blow on the Partenopei’s mental welfare in midweek Champions League action, eking out a 1-1 draw in southern Italy to dispatch Spalletti’s side from the quarter-finals 2-1 on aggregate.
Match Preview
Juventus
Despite their recent slip-ups on the road, Juventus remain a force to be reckoned with at the Allianz Stadium, as witnessed by their league-high 36-point tally at home (W11, D3, L1). Since an underwhelming 2-0 loss to top-flight debutants Monza in January, Allegri’s men have racked up four straight home league victories by an aggregate scoreline of 10-4, most recently squeaking past Hellas Verona 1-0.
That bodes well for the home side’s bid to avoid back-to-back scoring blanks in Serie A for the first time since 2012. What’s even more comforting for Juventus, they have won three of their last four top-flight home meetings with Napoli (D1), netting an average of 2.5 goals per game in this run. Moreover, Juve’s defensive soundness has been off the charts in Serie A this term, with the Bianconeri registering a league-high 17 clean sheets.
Player to Watch: Angel Di Maria
The veteran superstar scored a consolation goal in Juventus’ woeful 5-1 defeat in the reverse fixture in Naples. He could become only the third Bianconeri player to find the net in both seasonal league clashes against Napoli in the 21st century.
Napoli
Napoli may have blown hot and cold in April, but they’re still the best-performing away side in Serie A by some margin. Spalletti’s men have accrued a stunning 40 points on their league travels in 2022/23 (W13, D1, L1), winning their last seven away matches since a 1-0 loss at Inter in early January.
But after being held to a lackluster 0-0 home draw to Verona last time out, Napoli could go two successive Serie A games without scoring for the first time since December 2012. Against this backdrop, the visitors have bagged at least two goals on their last seven road trips. They have, in fact, averaged an eye-catching 2.2 goals per league travel this season.
Player to Watch: Victor Osimhen
The sought-after striker picked Juventus apart in the reverse H2H, scoring on either side of halftime and chipping in with an assist. After spending some time on the sidelines, the Nigerian returned to the scoresheet with a consolation strike against Milan on Tuesday.
Team News
After welcoming the likes of Wojciech Szczesny and Paul Pogba back to the fold against Sporting, Juventus boss Allegri will have his entire squad, barring Moise Kean, fit and ready for this mouth-watering contest. Though Gleison Bremer remains a minor doubt, the Brazilian should make the cut.
On the other hand, Napoli suffered a double injury blow against Milan. Matteo Politano and Mario Rui picked up fitness problems on Tuesday, joining Giovanni Simeone in the treatment room. Amir Rrahmani is also unavailable for selection due to an unknown injury.
Juventus vs Napoli Potential Lineups
Juventus (3-5-1-1): Wojciech Szczesny; Gleison Bremer, Danilo, Alex Sandro; Juan Cuadrado, Manuel Locatelli, Adrien Rabiot, Nicolo Fagioli, Filip Kostic; Angel Di Maria; Dusan Vlahovic.
Napoli (4-3-3): Alex Meret; Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Kim Min-Jae, Juan Jesus, Mathias Olivera; Piotr Zielinski, Stanislav Lobotka, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa; Hirving Lozano, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Victor Osimhen.
Juventus vs Napoli Prediction
Due to the physically demanding European duties, both sides may be frustrated by tired legs, leading to the possibility of both teams settling for a draw.
Prediction: Draw
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