Juventus vs. Empoli: Team News, Predicted Line-Ups, Live Stream & TV Info
With the international break now in the rear-view mirror, the focus once again returns to club football, and April looks set to be a crucial month for Serie A giants Juventus. A Champions League quarter-final clash with AS Monaco and a Coppa Italia semi-final against Fiorentina are on the horizon, but before those matches, the Bianconeri must take care of business in the league.
Saturday sees Empoli travel to Turin for the first time since January 2008, the Tuscan side having only won promotion back to the top flight last summer. Under the guidance of the impressive Maurizio Sarri, the Azzurri have enjoyed themselves in 2014/15 and currently sit in 13th place.
Sitting on a comfortable a 12-point cushion between themselves and the relegation zone, only four teams have conceded fewer goals than Empoli, and they boast some highly regarded players throughout the side. Mirko Valdifiori made his Italy debut against England on Tuesday, while Daniele Rugani will return to Juventus this summer, as his co-ownership deal comes to an end.
For the Bianconeri, Massimiliano Allegri will be looking for three more points toward sealing a fourth consecutive league titleโJuventus already possessing a 14-point lead over their closest rivals. The coach has a number of injury concernsโparticularly in midfieldโbut his squad should still be deep enough to overcome Empoli at Juventus Stadium on Saturday evening.
Date: Saturday, April 4
Time: 9 p.m. CET (8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET)
Venue: Juventus Stadium, Turin
TV Info: BT Sport 2 (UK) beINSports (U.S.)
Live Stream: beIN Sports CONNECT (U.S.)
Form Lines
Last five domestic results:
Predicted Lineups
Empoli (4-3-1-2): Sepe; Hysaj, Rugani, Barba, Mario Rui; Vecino, Valdifiori, Croce; Saponara; Maccarone, Tavano.
Key Battle
It will be interesting to see how Rugani copes with the threat of Alvaro Morata at one end in a clash between two of Serie Aโs brightest talents, while at the other, Juveโs veteran defence will face off against the evergreen Francesco Tavano-Massimo Maccarone partnership that forms the Empoli attack.
Yet the real intrigue may lie in midfield, where Andrea Pirlo is expected to return for the Bianconeri after a lengthy injury layoff. The Italy international needs no introduction, but he will go head-to-head with the Azzurriโs unheralded Valdifiori, who has impressed greatly this term.
According to statistics from WhoScored.com, the 28-year-old narrowly edges out his Juventus rival as the player who has completed the most passes this term, averaging 78.6 per game. He has weighed in with six assists, making him the creative hub of this Empoli side and a man the Bianconeri must stop if they are to win this encounter.
Player to Watch
While Valdifiori will seek to control the game, Juventus will perhaps once again rely on Arturo Vidal to deliver victory, with the Chilean slowly coming back to his best form. The early part of the campaign was tough for the 27-year-old, but his influence is gradually increasing, and his importance to the side cannot be understated.
With Paul Pogba certain to miss the game with a thigh strain and Pirlo only just recovering from his calf issue, the news that Claudio Marchisio may have been injured on international duty only increased the pressure on Vidal to deliver.
Marchisioโs problem appears much less serious than first fearedโas discussed in detail hereโbut nevertheless, Allegri will need Vidal to shine as he so often has over the last three years.
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Home win: 20/77
Away win: 45/4
Draw: 221/50
