Two Serie A heavyweights are set to clash in Turin as Juventus welcome Antonio Conte’s Napoli this Saturday evening.
Although Juventus remain unbeaten and made a commendable return to the Champions League midweek, their visitors have rebounded from an opening day loss by securing full points in their subsequent three games.
Juventus marked their return to the Champions League after a year-long hiatus by facing the high-scoring Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday. Despite conceding for the first time this season, Thiago Motta’s side emerged victorious with a 3-1 win in their group stage debut.
Kenan Yildiz initiated the scoring, followed by goals from Weston McKennie and Nico Gonzalez, ensuring the points were out of PSV’s reach. Even a late goal in stoppage time could not detract from what was a statement victory.
Under new manager Motta, Juventus began the season spectacularly with consecutive 3-0 wins, though they experienced a slight dip with back-to-back goalless draws against Roma and Empoli.
The Bianconeri have now achieved four consecutive clean sheets at the start of a Serie A campaign for only the fifth time in history. With several new signings and promising young talents in their squad this season, they look poised to contend for the title.
Nevertheless, the two draws surrounding the international break have left Juventus trailing Napoli by a single point as they head into Saturday’s clash, with surprise leaders Udinese another point ahead.
Juve have triumphed in 10 of their last 13 home matches against Napoli, including a narrow 1-0 victory last season. They will aim to replicate this success over the weekend, especially as one of their legendary coaches makes a return to Turin.
Among managers with a minimum of 50 games at the helm of the Bianconeri, Antonio Conte boasts a 68% win rate, ranking him second in overall competition victories. Additionally, he is among just six coaches who have achieved over 100 wins while managing Juventus.
Having once managed Juventus’ fierce rivals, Inter Milan, this won’t be Conte’s first return to the Allianz Stadium. He will hold no sentimental value as he aims to secure a victory against his former team.
Napoli have triumphed in six of their last nine Serie A encounters with Juventus, matching the number of wins achieved in the previous 22 games. Current form suggests they might claim all three points this time around.
Despite a rocky beginning to the season—barely advancing in the Coppa Italia and suffering a 3-0 defeat in their league opener against Hellas Verona—the Azzurri have since found their rhythm. They now sit in second place with nine points out of a possible twelve.
A string of three consecutive victories, averaging three goals per game, has fuelled optimism in Naples. The latest win was a commanding 4-0 victory over Cagliari.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Romelu Lukaku were among the goalscorers in Sardinia. Napoli now stand a chance to secure four straight Serie A wins for the first time since early last year, a period when Luciano Spalletti’s squad were effortlessly cruising towards the Scudetto.
Challenging for the top position this season is a realistic possibility, especially with Conte at the helm and most midweeks free, following their disastrous 2023-24 campaign that saw them miss out on European qualification.
An exception to this will occur next week when they host Palermo in the Coppa Italia. However, Napoli must first attempt to overcome one of their long-standing adversaries.
Thiago Motta may opt to alter his squad, considering Juventus had a midweek fixture, with Khephren Thuram, Nicolo Fagioli, and Douglas Luiz all vying for starting positions.
Following Federico Gatti’s injury on Tuesday, versatile Brazilian defender Danilo might be included in the home side’s back four. Only former Napoli striker Arkadiusz Milik and Francisco Conceicao are confirmed to be unavailable.
Expected to lead the line, Dusan Vlahovic will aim for his second goal of the season, hoping to improve his poor record against Saturday’s opponents: the Serbian forward has netted just once in 516 minutes played against Napoli thus far.
Meanwhile, the visitors’ new attacking prospect, Romelu Lukaku, has scored in both of his initial two appearances for the club. However, in both the Premier League and Serie A, the Belgian striker has never managed to find the back of the net in each of his first three matches.
Supported by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and either David Neres or Matteo Politano in the attacking third, it remains uncertain whether Antonio Conte will make changes in midfield. This follows the debut of Scottish pair Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay from the bench last week.
With a full week’s preparation under their belts, Napoli have no injury concerns and can field their strongest XI.
Juventus possible starting lineup: Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Danilo, Bremer, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Luiz; Gonzalez, Koopmeiners, Yildiz; Vlahovic
Napoli possible starting lineup: Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno; Mazzocchi, Lobotka, Anguissa, Spinazzola; Politano, Kvaratskhelia; Lukaku
