The Bianconeri have one eye on their Champions League last-16 second leg as they prepare to host the men from Udine
Juventus open the doors of the Allianz Stadium for the 200th time when they host Udinese in Serie A on Friday.
The Bianconeri went 16 points clear of Napoli at the top of the league by beating Carlo Ancelotti’s side 2-1 at the San Paolo on Sunday and they will hope to give fans more to cheer about on the milestone day.
With a crunch Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid on the horizon on Tuesday, Massimiliano Allegri is expected to rotate his squad significantly for the clash against Udinese.
David Nicola’s side will therefore hope to capitalise against what is likely to be a weakened team as they seek their third consecutive Serie A victory.
| Game | Juventus vs Udinese |
| Date | Friday, March 8 |
| Time | 7:30pm GMT / 2:30pm ET |
In the United States (US), the game is not being broadcast live on TV, but it can be streamed online using ESPN+.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| N/A | ESPN+ |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game can be watched live on Premier Sports 1 and it can be streamed via the Premier Player service.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Premier Sports 1 | Premier Player |
| Position | Juventus squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Szczesny, Pinsoglio, Perin |
| Defenders | De Sciglio, Chiellini, Caceres, A. Sandro, Barzagli, Bonucci, Rugani, Spinazzola |
| Midfielders | D. Costa, Matuidi, Can, Bentancur, Castanos |
| Forwards | Ronaldo, Mandzukic, Dybala, Kean, Bernardeschi, Fagioli |
Allegri has indicated that Cristiano Ronaldo will start the game on the bench, while there are lingering concerns over the availability of Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic.
The Juve boss said there is a “99 per cent chance” that Moise Kean will start and Andrea Barzagli is also expected to feature with Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini not playing. Miralem Pjanic and Joao Cancelo are also unavailable as they serve suspensions.
Juan Cuadrado remains out of action, while Douglas Costa and Sami Khedira are not likely to play any part as they recover from injury, though the former is expected to be ready for next week.
Potential Juventus starting XI: Szczesny; De Sciglio, Barzagli, Caceres, A. Sandro; Bentancur, Matuidi, Can; Kean, Bernardeschi, Dybala.
| Position | Udinese squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Musso, Perisan, Nicolas, Gasparini |
| Defenders | Samir, Opoku, Troost-Ekong, Nuytinck, Ter Avest, Larsen, Wilmot, De Maio, Zeegelaar |
| Midfielders | Fofana, De Paul, Ingelsson, Micin, Pussetto, Sandro, Barak, D’Alessandro |
| Forwards | Okaka, Lasagna, Bocic, Teodorczyk |
Udinese will be without Rolando Mandragora, who is suspended, while Valon Behrami, Marco D’Alessandro and Emmanuel Badu are a number of weeks away from a return.
Potential Udinese starting XI: Musso; De Maio, Zeegelaar, Nuytinck, Troost-Ekong, Ter Avest; Sandro, De Paul, Larsen; Pussetto, Okaka.
As you might expect, Juventus are strong favourites to win, with bet365 giving odds of 4/11. Udinese are rated 8/1 to beat the Old Lady and a draw is available at 15/4.
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Juventus may be comfortably clear of their rivals at the top of Serie A but their 2-0 loss against Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League last 16 has prompted concerns for Allegri’s future, with the Bianconeri boss meeting with club president Andrea Agnelli for talks.
The acquisition of Ronaldo from Real Madrid last summer was seen as a major statement of intent from the Turin giants, who have designs on seizing the European crown for the first time since 1996. However, their continued participation in the tournament is now in jeopardy after the loss to Diego Simeone’s side.
“I met with the president yesterday for dinner,” the Juve boss told a news conference on Thursday. “We are two intelligent people who have built something important in these five years together.”
He added: “There is no quarrel. We talked, we ate well, and we decided that, given how things are going, we’ll talk about the renewal of the contract after the season, as we have always done.”
With so much riding on Tuesday’s second leg against Atletico, the importance of Friday’s game against Udinese has diminished to the point where Allegri will rest a number of his star players. Nevertheless, Juve are unbeaten in Serie A this season so far and even a second-string team will not relinquish that unblemished record easily.
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