Wildly inconsistent Juventus endeavor to bounce back from a midweek Europa League upset against lowly Spezia on Sunday evening. Stadio Alberto Picco forms the backdrop for the beginning of the home side’s life after underperforming manager Luca Gotti.
Despite returning to the scoresheet after three consecutive scoring blanks in Serie A (L3), Spezia squandered a 2-0 halftime lead in last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Empoli. That result proved the end of the road for the former Udinese manager. The Alberto Picco chiefs axed Gotti in the aftermath, entrusting Fabrizio Lorieri with an interim charge ahead of this clash.
Having picked up just one win from seven league outings (D3, L3) since Serie A resumed in 2023, Spezia should consider themselves lucky for starting this round outside the drop zone. However, a vulnerable two-point lead over 18th-placed Hellas Verona puts the Aquilotti at risk of slipping into the relegation spots at the end of this matchday.
On the other hand, visiting Juventus could only manage an underwhelming 1-1 home draw against Nantes in the first leg of their Europa League knockout playoff tie. Dusan Vlahovic fired Massimiliano Allegri’s side to a 1-0 lead at the break, but a ponderous second-half display saw the Bianconeri slip in the end.
Serie A proceedings offer different readings, though. After succumbing to a 2-0 home loss to Monza in the wake of a demoralizing 15-point deduction, Juventus have won back-to-back league games ‘to nil.’ Adrien Rabiot headed home to give the record-time Italian champions a 1-0 home win over Fiorentina last week, keeping them within a ten-point distance of European placings.
Preview
Spezia
Spezia’s growing defensive concerns have seen them concede at least two goals in their last four league matches. That’s not what the home crowd would want to hear after the Aquilotti lost all five previous Serie A meetings with Juventus by an aggregate score of 13-4. Equally worrying is the fact they’ve failed to score in three of those fixtures.
That negative trend might go on beyond this weekend. Since M’Bala Nzola’s strike against Atalanta in early January, Spezia have gone 329 minutes without scoring on home turf. Particularly uneventful in the later stages, they are one of only two Serie A sides yet to find the net inside the final 15 minutes of play this term.
Player to Watch: Emmanuel Gyasi
With the question mark still hovering over Nzola’s head, Spezia will rely on captain Emmanuel Gyasi to shoulder the scoring burden. The Ghanaian forward is the last Acquilotti player to open the scoring in a home league match this season.
Juventus
A 3-0 demolition of Salernitana on their last Serie A travel marked Juventus’ fifth win in six away league games (L1). But it’s worth mentioning that their four previous victories in that sequence came by a narrow 1-0 scoreline, highlighting the potential for a cagey, low-scoring contest.
Adding to this sentiment, Juventus have won a league-high 13 matches without conceding this season. It means that if the Bianconeri break the deadlock for the eighth time in 11 Serie A road trips, it could put this encounter to bed. Vice versa, Allegri’s men have lost all three away league outings after conceding the opening goal in 2022/23.
Player to Watch: Dusan Vlahovic
Vlahovic’s 13th-minute opener against Nantes means he’s found the net within 30 minutes of play two of his last three appearances across all competitions. The coveted striker also scored a brace to inspire Juventus to a clear-cut Salernitana on their most recent league travel.
Team News
In addition to Nzola, Spezia will be without Jeroen Zoet, Joao Moutinho, Jacopo Sala, Salvatore Esposito, Simone Bastoni, Victor Kovalenko, and Szymon Zurkowski.
Meanwhile, Leonardo Bonucci’s return from a long-term injury comes at a perfect timing, with Gleison Bremer set to miss out on this fixture after accumulating yellow cards. Arkadiusz Milik, Juan Cuadrado, Paul Pogba, and Fabio Miretti are ruled out with injuries.
Spezia vs Juventus Potential Lineups
Spezia (3-5-2): Bartlomiej Dragowski; Adout, Dimitrios Nikolaou, Przemyslaw Wisniewski; Emmanuel Gyasi, Mehdi Bourabia, Albin Ekdal, Kevin Agudelo, Arkadiusz Reca; Daniele Verde, Eldor Shomurodov
Juventus (3-4-2-1): Szczesny; Danilo, Leonardo Bonucci, Alex Sandro; Mattia De Scigio, Manuel Locatelli, Adrien Rabiot, Filip Kostic; Angel Di Maria, Federico Chiesa; Dusan Vlahovic.
Spezia vs Juventus Prediction
Despite Juventus’ dismal Europa League fortunes, we can easily envisage the visitors taking full advantage of a growing injury list at Spezia to take home three points.
Prediction: Juventus Win
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