Best Odds: 4/5
Bookmaker:
Hoping to briefly climb to the top of the Serie A table, Juventus will welcome Napoli to Turin on Friday night for a heavyweight affair.
Juventus
Starting with the hosts, while Juventus might have dealt with a string of issues behind the scenes in Turin last season, the Italian heavyweights are in the midst of a stellar Serie A romp this time around. Continuing to shine on either side of November’s international break, Massimiliano Allegri’s men have certainly gained a string of plaudits. Knowing that another statement victory on Friday night would see them leapfrog Inter Milan to top spot, the Old Lady should find the mood in their camp at a red-hot high. Picking up some notable scalps this season and mustering 19 points from their previous seven Serie A appearances, many in Allergi’s camp have their sights set on mounting a genuine title charge in 2024. Likewise, yet to suffer a single domestic defeat in Turin so far this season, Juventus will be confident of making another major statement on home soil.
Team News
Dealing with a long-term knee injury and yet to make a single Serie A appearance this season, Juventus will once again be without 31-year-old Mattia De Sciglio on Friday night. Still dealing with a muscle injury and not featuring since the end of October, Allegra’s side are still sweating over the fitness of USA international Timothy Weah.
Bagging the winner away at Monza last weekend and continuing to impress this season, 25-year-old defender Federico Gatti will once again partner Bremer at the back. Despite notching just a single goal since the middle of September, Susan Vlahovic will spearhead Allegri’s charge here.
Napoli
As for the visitors, while Napoli might have made real history last season as they got their hands on a first Serie A crown since 1990, Walter Mazzarri’s side have drastically failed too find a similar level this time around. Last seen putting in another woeful performance as they slumped to a 3-0 hammering at home against Inter Milan, the one-time Watford boss appears to have a real uphill battle on his hands. Signing off November with a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Spanish icons Real Madrid while on Champions League duties, Napoli have now lost three of their previous four appearances across all competitions. Heading into the fortnight interval with an infamous 1-0 loss against Empoli, Friday’s guests have also failed to pick up back-to-back victories since the end of October. Needing a minor miracle if they are to keep hold of their domestic crown this season, Napoli should be bracing themselves for a tricky test in Turin.
Team News
Suffering a knee injury last week, Napoli will once again be without 26-year-old defender Mathias Olivera on Friday night. The former Getafe star will be joined on the sidelines by on the sidelines by Portugal international Mario Rui here.
While attacking talisman Victor Osimhen might have failed to notch a single strike since returning from his injury issue last month, the Nigerian ace will certainly have a leading role to play in Turin. Bagging five goals in as many appearances for club and country, Khvicha Kvaratskheila will have a leading role to play this weekend.
Key Factors to Consider
