Three days after a 6-1 demolition of Salernitana in midweek Coppa Italia action, Juventus head to Stadio Arechi to encounter the same opponent in Serie A. Victory is imperative for Massimiliano Allegri’s charges after Inter eked out a nail-biting 2-1 home triumph against Hellas Verona on Saturday.
Inter’s win has widened the gap between the leading duo to five points, putting pressure on second-placed Juventus to deliver in Salerno. If the Turin club’s website is anything to go by, Bianconeri’s success against the division’s basement boys should be a mere formality.
Confidence is at an all-time high around the Juventus camp after a 1-0 home win against Roma at the tail-end of 2023 extended their undefeated league streak to 13 matches (W10, D3). It’s the longest ongoing unbeaten run in Serie A. And it gets better.
Salernitana might be the most favorable opposition Juventus can possibly encounter at the start of 2024. Except for a 1-0 defeat in 1999, the record-time Italian champions have held the Salerno outfit winless in their remaining seven Serie A clashes, racking up five wins and two draws.
That run includes a thumping 3-0 victory in this corresponding fixture last season. Despite Bianconeri’s propensity for low-scoring affairs, they’ve been quite prolific against Salernitana. Since Granata’s return to the top flight in 2021, Juventus have netted 2+ goals in all four league meetings between the sides.
Considering only two sides from Europe’s top-five leagues bettered Juventus’ tally of 20 clean sheets in 2023, it’s only natural to expect Filippo Inzaghi’s side to draw a blank on Sunday. That’s a realistic possibility, knowing Juventus have fended Salernitana off in six of their eight historic H2Hs in Serie A.
With that in mind, tonight’s contest should be another day at the office for Juventus.
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