Sports Mole previews Saturday's Serie A conflict between Juventus and Napoli, together with predictions, team information and attainable lineups.
Two Serie A giants will go toe to toe in Turin on Saturday night, as Juventus sort out the Napoli team of membership hero Antonio Conte.
While Juve are nonetheless unbeaten and made a powerful Champions League return in midweek, the guests have bounced again from a first-day defeat to gather most factors from their subsequent three matches.
Match preview
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Making their Champions League comeback after one 12 months away, Juventus took on free-scoring Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday, and regardless of shedding their clean-sheet document, Thiago Motta‘s males ran out 3-1 winners of their league-phase opener.
Kenan Yildiz began the scoring, earlier than objectives from Weston McKennie and Nico Gonzalez put the factors out of PSV's attain, and even conceding in stoppage time couldn't take the shine off an announcement victory.
Under new boss Motta, Juve began the season in fashion, posting back-to-back 3-0 wins earlier than going barely off the boil, recording successive 0-0 attracts in opposition to Roma and Empoli.
The Bianconeri have now posted 4 straight clear sheets to begin a Serie A season for simply the fifth time ever, and with a number of new signings becoming a member of a handful of younger stars of their squad this season, they might count on to battle it out for the title.
However, these two stalemates both facet of the worldwide break see Juventus path Napoli by some extent heading into Saturday's showdown, with metropolis rivals Torino two additional in entrance.
Juve have received 10 of their final 13 dwelling video games in opposition to Napoli, together with a 1-0 success final season, so they are going to purpose to proceed in that vein this weekend, when one in every of their all-time nice coaches returns to Turin.
Among males with no less than 50 video games accountable for the Bianconeri, Antonio Conte (68%) sits second by way of win proportion throughout all competitions. Furthermore, he's one in every of solely six coaches to have surpassed 100 wins whereas with Juventus.
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Having beforehand been boss of Juve's arch-rivals Inter Milan, this is not going to be Conte's first return to the Allianz Stadium, and he can have no sentiment as he tries to engineer victory over his former membership.
Napoli have really received six of their final 9 video games in opposition to Juventus in Serie A – as many as within the earlier 22 – and latest outcomes recommend they may take most factors this time round.
Following a shaky begin to the season – during which they simply scraped by means of within the Coppa Italia and then misplaced their league opener 3-0 to Hellas Verona – the Azzurri have since gone by means of the gears and now occupy second place within the standings with 9 factors from a attainable 12.
Three consecutive wins – with a median of three objectives scored per sport – have seen optimism develop in Naples, with the newest being a 4-0 thumping of Cagliari.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Romelu Lukaku have been among the many scorers in Sardinia, and now Napoli might document 4 straight Serie A wins in for the primary time because the begin of final 12 months, when Luciano Spalletti‘s facet have been freewheeling their solution to the Scudetto.
A problem for prime spot this time period isn't out of the query, as along with having Conte within the dugout, they'll relaxation most midweeks after failing to qualify for Europe in a calamitous 2023-24 marketing campaign.
An exception will come round subsequent week, when internet hosting Palermo within the Coppa Italia, however first Napoli should attempt to topple one in every of their oldest foes.
Juventus Serie A type:
Juventus type (all competitions):
Napoli Serie A type:
Napoli type (all competitions):
Team News
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Thiago Motta could make some adjustments to his lineup, with Juventus having performed in midweek, as Khephren Thuram, Nicolo Fagioli and Douglas Luiz all push for promotion from the bench.
After Federico Gatti got here off injured on Tuesday, he could also be compelled to drop out of the hosts' again 4; solely ex-Napoli striker Arkadiusz Milik and Francisco Conceicao are positively sidelined.
Sure to begin up entrance, Dusan Vlahovic will search his second aim of the season, as he tries to enhance a weak document in opposition to Saturday's opponents: the Serbian has scored simply as soon as in 516 minutes performed versus Napoli to this point.
Meanwhile, the guests' new attacking hope, Romelu Lukaku, has discovered the web in each of his first two appearances for the membership, however throughout each the Premier League and Serie A, the Belgian ahead has by no means managed to attain in every of his first three matches.
He can be supported by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and both David Neres or Matteo Politano within the last third, nevertheless it stays to be seen whether or not Antonio Conte will swap issues up elsewhere, after Scottish pair Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay each made their debut from the bench final weekend.
Having benefited from a full week's preparation, Napoli don't have any accidents to concern them and can title their strongest XI.
Juventus attainable beginning lineup:
Di Gregorio; Savona, Kalulu, Bremer, Cambiaso; Locatelli; Gonzalez, McKennie, Koopmeiners, Yildiz; Vlahovic
Napoli attainable beginning lineup:
Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno, Olivera; McTominay, Lobotka, Anguissa; Politano, Lukaku, Kvaratskhelia
We say: Juventus 1-1 Napoli
It guarantees to be a decent tactical battle between two intense coaches, as a few Calcio heavyweights scrap it out on Saturday.
Napoli have tried probably the most pictures to this point in Serie A (72), however well-drilled Juventus have confronted the fewest (25) and might grind out one other draw.
For knowledge evaluation of the almost definitely outcomes, scorelines and extra for this match please click on right here.
