After hitting a new low in another sub-par season, Juventus will try to keep their top-four quest on track when hosting Hellas Verona on Monday.
Having followed their recent Champions League exit with defeat in the Coppa Italia, Juve's sole focus is Serie A, where their visitors are simply fighting for survival.
Match preview
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Despite dominating the ball against Serie A strugglers Empoli - who had just been thrashed 5-0 by Atalanta BC - Juventus failed to secure progress from Wednesday's Coppa Italia quarter-final.
Trailing midway through the second half, it took a moment of magic from Khephren Thuram to avoid losing within 90 minutes, but Dusan Vlahovic and Kenan Yildiz then missed penalties in a 5-3 shootout defeat.
Beaten at home by an injury-hit team that had lost six of their last seven league matches, Juve's cup defence ended in sorry fashion, so they have been left with no chance of claiming silverware this season. Instead, clinging on to a top-four spot must be the target, amid much speculation about Thiago Motta's position.
For all their woes, the Bianconeri are on track to book a Champions League return for next term, following four consecutive league wins throughout February.
Last time out in Serie A, Vlahovic scored 12 minutes into his first league start of 2025 to secure victory in Cagliari, as Juventus tightened their grip on fourth place. However, events in midweek soon soured the mood.
As Juve have never lost a top-flight game against Verona in Turin - with a remarkable record of 28 wins and five draws from 33 previous meetings - another setback could prove fatal for Motta.
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Either home or away, Verona have lost five of their last six matches against Juventus, failing to even score on five occasions - including a 3-0 beating in this season's reverse fixture.
In fact, the last Gialloblu player to score at the Allianz Stadium was Andrea Favilli, back in October 2020; none of their current squad has ever netted a league goal versus Juve.
The weight of history may be against them, but Paolo Zanetti's side will be buoyed by last week's win over European hopefuls Fiorentina, in which Antoine Bernede produced a precious stoppage-time decider.
Hellas had scored only twice in seven Serie A matches beforehand, recording just a single win in the process, but that three-point haul gave a big boost to their chances of survival.
Though they last won back-to-back league games almost one year ago, Verona have actually come out on top in three of their last six away fixtures - as many as throughout the previous 25. So, they may still dream of beating beleaguered Juve.
Team News
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Juventus are still burdened by a depleted defence, as young full-back Nicolo Savona and Chelsea loanee Renato Veiga recently joined several others on the sidelines.
Already missing Bremer and Juan Cabal - both of whom are out for the rest of the season - and Pierre Kalulu, Thiago Motta is set to pair Federico Gatti and Lloyd Kelly at the heart of his back four.
Having just returned from his latest layoff, Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz is also out of action with a flexor injury.
Up front, it remains to be seen whether Dusan Vlahovic and Randal Kolo Muani are both retained, or if one is dropped to the bench; Vlahovic has scored six Serie A goals against Verona, including a brace at Stadio Bentegodi last August.
Meanwhile, the visitors will be without Suat Serdar, Martin Frese, Abdou Harroui and top scorer Casper Tengstedt due to injury.
Domagoj Bradaric returns from suspension and could slot in on the left flank, so long-serving winger Darko Lazovic may make way.
Once again, Tomas Suslov is set to support Amin Sarr in attack, while Antoine Bernede will hope his winning goal against Fiorentina earns him promotion to the first XI.
Juventus possible starting lineup:
Di Gregorio; Weah, Gatti, Kelly, Cambiaso; Thuram, Locatelli; Gonzalez, McKennie, Yildiz; Kolo Muani
Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:
Montipo; Dawidowicz, Coppola, Valentini; Faraoni, Niasse, Bernede, Duda, Bradaric; Suslov; Sarr
We say: Juventus 2-0 Hellas Verona
Juventus have conceded the fewest goals from open play in Serie A this season (12), while Verona have shipped the most (44).
Add in the visitors' dismal away record against Juve - who had a flawless league record in February - and surely the home side will prevail.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
