Palermo vs. Juventus: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream and TV Info
Finally on a sustained run of positive results, Juventus travel to Sicily on Sunday evening, set to face off against a Palermo side who currently occupy 15th place in the Serie A table. They are just four points off the relegation zone, but their Stadio Renzo Barbera home is never an easy place to play.
Indeed, having held Lazio to a 1-1 draw on their last outing, the home side will be looking to continue their own stuttering form. Poor performances in the first few months led to Beppe Iachini’s dismissal earlier in November, with Davide Ballardini returning to the club he also coached back in 2009.
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He told TuttoSport (h/t Football Italia) that “Juventus have everything to compete for the Scudetto and the Champions League,” but he will hope to prevent the Bianconeri winning this fixture for the fifth year in a row.
Juve’s Stephan Lichtsteiner is under no illusion as to what awaits the visitors, but he told Sky Italia that the team hope to continue their recent winning run and climb back into contention for the title.
“We’re expecting a tough game at a testing venue but we’ll make sure we produce a strong performance as we have done in recent weeks,” he said per the club’s official website. “As for the title, you should never stop believing so all we can do is pick up as many points as we can between now and Christmas and see where that takes us.”
A victory in this clash will be vital in helping them do just that, and with leaders Inter facing a difficult meeting with Napoli, coach Massimiliano Allegri’s men could begin to close the gap.
Date: Saturday, November 28, 2015
Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET
Venue: Stadio Renzo Barbera, Palermo
TV Info: BT Sport Europe (UK) beIN Sports 2 (U.S.)
Live Stream: BT Connect (UK)
Form Lines
Last five domestic results:
Probable Formations
Palermo: (4-3-1-2): Stefano Sorrentino; Aljaz Struna, Edoardo Goldaniga, Giancarlo Gonzalez, Achraf Lazar; Luca Rigoni, Mato Jajalo, Oscar Hiljemark; Gaston Brugman; Franco Vazquez, Alberto Gilardino
Unavailable: Uros Durdevic, Roberto Vitello (both injured)
Juventus (4-3-3): Gigi Buffon; Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Patrice Evra; Stefano Sturaro, Claudio Marchisio, Paul Pogba; Juan Cuadrado, Alvaro Morata, Paulo Dybala
Unavailable: Kwadwo Asamoah, Hernanes, Sami Khedira, Simone Padoin and Roberto Pereyra (all injured)
Player to Watch
Perhaps the one player to keep a close eye on during this encounter will be Paulo Dybala, returning to face his former club for the first time. The Argentinian joined Juventus this past summer, with their official website revealing they paid €32 million to the Sicilian side, with a further €8 million in potential bonuses.
That investment has already begun to pay dividends, with Dybala weighing in with seven goals and two assists. That tally includes his well-taken match-winning strike against Milan last weekend, which the man himself admitted to enjoying as he spoke to Mediaset Premium after the final whistle.
"Dybala's goal. https://t.co/xBQBjL978S
— Khaled Al Nouss (@KhaledAlNouss) November 21, 2015"
“It was a victory of the team today and we just did what the Coach asked us to,” he said (h/t Football Italia). “Leaving the field to a standing ovation from the fans was an unforgettable moment.”
Dybala added that he knows he “can do much more,” which will be a daunting prospect for the Rosanero as they prepare to take on their former hero on Sunday evening.
Key Battle
If Dybala will be key for Juventus, their opponents will be relying on his former team-mate Franco Vazquez to deliver the quality at the other end of the field. He has yet to hit the same impressive form as last season, but the 26-year-old has notched one goal and four assists in 2015/16.
Carrying the Palermo attack, he has clearly missed having a player as good as Dybala alongside him, but it seems that he too may not remain in Sicily for too much longer.
“In January no, in June 2016 it could happen,” club president Maurizio Zamparini said when asked by Sport Mediaset (h/t Football Italia) about the possibility of selling Vazquez. For now he remains with Palermo, however, and the Bianconeri will need to monitor him closely if they are to leave the Stadio Renzo Barbera with three points.
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Away win: 100/149
Home win: 17-4
Draw: 13/5
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