Before the discussion about the top end of the table begins, it’s important to discuss Venezia and how their fate hangs in the balance. Eusebio Di Francesco’s side must defeat Juventus at home, in the final game of the season, something they have not done at this venue since 1962.
Such is the pressure on the relegation-threatened side, who are still in with a chance to make it out of the bottom three with a win as well as with the hope that Lecce and Empoli falter on the final day of the season. A recent victory over Fiorentina provided them with a massive boost to avoid the drop as well as the momentum, which was deflated by Cagliari, who defeated Di Francesco’s men last time out.
While Lecce faces a tricky away clash with Lazio, Empoli hosts Hellas Verona, with the latter in a slightly better spot owing to their goal difference. Venezia are still two points behind those two, meaning they must win against Juventus and hope the other two lose their respective clashes, as there’s still a slight chance of surviving the ordeal of relegation.
Heading into the penultimate matchday of Serie A, Juventus were level on points with Lazio, while being chased down by Roma and Bologna. Bearing in mind the results on Matchday 37, Lazio drew with Inter Milan, while Roma were victorious against AC Milan, but Bologna lost out to Fiorentina, which meant they were out of the running for a top-four finish.
With the Serie A title already decided on Friday night, with Napoli clinching the Scudetto after a stellar victory over Cagliari, the second and third-place spots are also confirmed. The fourth spot still is in Juventus’ hands heading into the final matchday of the season, as the Bianconeri are leading Roma by a single point.
Igor Tudor’s men head to Venezia with the sole aim of winning this clash, as they cannot risk dropping any points and allow Roma the chance to take over. Hence, a win is all that is needed to confirm the fourth spot and head to next season’s Champions League, as from a financial standpoint, such a finish is imperative for Juventus and their immediate future.
Di Francesco continues to sweat on the fitness of Gaetano Oristanio following an injury sustained in the loss to Cagliari. There are other absentees in the squad, with Alfred Duncan, Michael Svoboda and Chieck Conde all missing from action ahead of the final day of the season.
Venezia will also be without skipper Jay Idzes after a yellow card against Cagliari will see him sit out of this home clash with Juventus with a suspension. Di Francesco would prefer a back three of Alessandro Marcandalli, Joel Schingtienne and Fali Conde. Alessio Zerbin and Mikael Ellertsson are the preferred choices in the wing-back roles.
Hans Nicolussi Caviglia will sit at the base of the central midfield setup with Kike Perez and Gianluca Busio on either side. With Oristiano likely to be absent from the clash, Di Francesco will place the trust in John Yeboah and Christian Gytkjaer to lead the line for Venezia.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Radu; Marcandalli, Schingtienne, Cande; Zerbin, Perez, Caviglia, Busio, Ellertsson; Yeboah, Gytkjaer
None of Juventus’ long-term absentees like Arkadiusz Milik, Gleison Bremer or Juan Cabal are expected to feature, while Teun Koopmeiners is also out of contention as he has not recovered from an Achilles issue that has seen him miss a few games.
There are some considerable doubts over Weston McKennie, but there’s hope he will be available despite limping off recently with an ankle issue. Defender Pierre Kalulu is still out suspended, meaning Alberto Costa should have a place in Tudor’s back four alongside Renato Veiga and Lloyd Kelly, with Andrea Cambiaso stationed in the left-back role.
Manuel Locatelli should return to the midfield setup alongside regular partner Khephren Thuram. Tudor will prefer to use all three of Nico Gonzalez, Francisco Conceicao and Kenan Yildiz behind the striker, as Dusan Vlahovic might start ahead of Randal Kolo Muani after his goalscoring display against Udinese.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Costa, Veiga, Kelly, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Thuram; Gonzalez, Conceicao, Yildiz; Vlahovic
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The striker is expected to leave Juventus in the summer owing to a lot of factors in the background which includes a dispute over a new deal. While some may argue that he has not fulfilled his potential at the club since a huge move from Fiorentina, he can still finish this tenure on a high with a performance that takes the Bianconeri to next season’s Champions League.
He did break a seven-game goal drought with his strike against Udinese and will hope to add to that when Juventus visit Venezia. For the Bianconeri, a win is imperative to qualify for the Champion League, although for the Serbian, it will be important to close the season on a high note with a goalscoring performance.
Venezia are under pressure, with their fate probably resting on this result, especially if their other relegation rivals lose their respective games. However, they have not experienced success against Juventus at this venue for decades, and that might not change on the final matchday of the season, which could lead to their relegation to Serie B.
Meanwhile, Juventus are expected to put in all their efforts to secure three points at this ground, as a top-four finish hinges on a win here. Tudor’s men have the quality and players to secure a win, and they might do so with a narrow margin, as the Bianconeri are expected to edge out their rivals and play Champions League football next season.
