Luciano Spalletti will take charge of Juventus for the first time on Saturday as the Bianconeri travel to face a confident Cremonese side at the Stadio Giovanni Zini. The former Italy and Napoli coach arrives with a clear objective: restore stability, climb into the top four, and re-establish Juventus as a title challenger. His task begins against opponents who have surprised many with their strong start to the season.
Cremonese ended a long winless run with a commanding 2-0 victory away at Genoa in midweek, a result that reaffirmed their impressive return to Serie A. Davide Nicola’s side have lost only once in nine league matches (W3, D5) and sit just one point outside the top six. Their home form has also been steady, with Cremonese unbeaten in 11 league matches at the Zini since February, although clean sheets have been harder to secure.
Juventus also arrive on the back of an important midweek win. A 3-1 victory over Udinese under interim coach Massimo Brambilla halted an eight-match winless spell that had placed significant pressure on the board and coaching staff. That performance offered signs of renewed intensity and focus, but Spalletti will know that fading away from home has been a serious problem. Juventus have lost their last three matches on the road in all competitions and have just one away league victory to their name this season.
History, however, sits firmly on Juventus’ side. Cremonese have beaten the Bianconeri only once in their history and not since 1923. Juventus won both meetings without conceding during the 2022/23 campaign.
Cremonese forward Federico Bonazzoli arrives in excellent scoring form after his brace against Genoa, with five of his last six goals coming after halftime. Dušan Vlahović, meanwhile, opened the scoring for Juventus in midweek, though his previous seven league goals had all arrived in the final half hour of matches. The influence of both strikers could define the rhythm and control of the contest.
Recent match trends suggest a tight encounter. Only one of Cremonese’s last seven games has seen more than two goals, and they remain one of only two Serie A sides yet to concede before half-time at home this season. Juventus, meanwhile, have led at the interval just once in the league and have seen very few second-half goals away from home.
Both sides emerged from midweek without new injuries, giving Spalletti and Nicola the chance to work with full squads.
For Cremonese, this is another chance to prove they belong in the upper section of the league. For Juventus, it marks the start of a new direction under Spalletti. A controlled and composed performance would signal intent, but victory is essential if Juventus wish to move back into the top four discussion.
