The last few weeks have not been ideal for Juventus, who have crashed out of Europe and the Coppa Italia, while taking only two points from their last four league matches ahead of the trip to Udinese. They did arrest that slump with a win over lowly Pisa SC, who are destined for relegation, and Luciano Spalletti has a big task on his hands.
With only one win in their last five league games, there is a lot for Juventus to show for their top-four chase. They are currently trailing Como and AS Roma by a single point, which does keep them very much in the hunt for a Champions League place.
Meanwhile, Udinese came through a tough period where they lost three on the bounce, to return to winning ways against relegation-threatened Fiorentina. However, they could only manage a draw away from home in Bergamo against Atalanta, with the game ending in a 2-2 stalemate last weekend.
The Friulani are sitting comfortably in 11th place at the moment, and while realistically they might be out of contention for a European place, there is still an outside chance to achieve that.
However, the first big step towards continental football would be a good result against Juventus, something Kosta Runjaic’s side have not had the best of times in recent years, having won just one of their last 15 league encounters against the Bianconeri.
Udinese have their share of injury issues, with the likes of Nicolo Bertola, Jordan Zemura, and Alessandro Zanoli all missing out. The latter is a long-term absentee from the team, although there is some positive news on the way.
Oumar Solet and Arthur Atta are now able to return to the squad, which could see them return to the starting lineup against Juventus. Attacker Keinan Davis could become the fourth English player to hit double figures in a Serie A season, as he comes into the game with nine goals to his name. He will have Nicolo Zaniolo as his strike partner, while a midfield four will support them from behind.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Okoye; Kristensen, Kabasele, Solet; Ehizibue, Ekkelenkamp, Karlstrom, Atta, Kamara; Zaniolo, Davis
Luciano Spalletti does not have too many injury-related issues with his squad, with only Arkadiusz Milik and Emil Holm out of contention at the moment. The other positive news is the return of Dusan Vlahovic to full training, after more than three months on the sidelines.
There are also reports of Juventus looking to retain the Serbian striker beyond the current season, but beyond that, he is not expected to start this weekend. It remains to be seen whether Spalletti names him in the matchday squad, as he does have Jonathan David to lead the line for Juventus against Udinese.
The Canadian striker’s place is already under threat with the Serb’s return, which could further place Lois Openda’s position under jeopardy. As for the selections, there may not be too many changes to Spalletti’s backline, with Pierre Kalulu and Andrea Cambiaso in the full-back roles.
Gleison Bremer and Lloyd Kelly are expected to play centrally, while Manuel Locatelli and Khephren Thuram will feature in the midfield setup. Francisco Conceicao will be preferred on the right wing, with Weston McKennie in the central attacking role for Juventus. With David set to lead the line, Juventus’s main man in attack, Kenan Yıldız, will take his spot on the left side of the front three against Udinese.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Perin; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Cambiaso; Thuram, Locatelli; Conceição, McKennie, Yıldız; David
Compared to the Canadian’s performances for his former side LOSC Lille, his numbers have been average since joining Juventus. Yet, seven goals and five assists are still respectable figures, although if the Bianconeri want to achieve their objectives this term, their centre-forward’s numbers need to improve.
David is under pressure heading into the final set of games for Juventus, especially now that Dusan Vlahovic has resumed training and will soon be knocking on the door to start up front. Hence, the Canadian needs to step up and show Spalletti that he should be the main centre-forward for the remainder of the campaign, as a top-notch display against Udinese should represent a good start in that quest.
Udinese are not in the best of form, even though they have stayed unbeaten in their last two Serie A games ahead of the visit of Juventus. The hosts do not boast a good record against the Turin giants, which may well reflect on their performance at the weekend.
Juventus are under pressure to clinch a top-four finish, and given the state of the other teams, Spalletti must treat every game as a must-win encounter moving forward. The Turin giants are expected to trounce Udinese on Saturday, although their back line is still expected to concede an odd goal at some stage of the game.
