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Juventus' Alex Sandro, right, and Chievo Verona's Lucas Castro fight for the ball during a Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Chievo Verona at the Juventus Stadium, in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015. (AP Photo/Massimo Pinca)
Juventus' Alex Sandro, right, and Chievo Verona's Lucas Castro fight for the ball during a Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Chievo Verona at the Juventus Stadium, in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015. (AP Photo/Massimo Pinca)Massimo Pinca/Associated Press

Chievo vs. Juventus: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info

Adam DigbyJan 30, 2016

Juventus take on Chievo on Sunday, the Italian champions in very different shape to when these two sides met earlier in the campaign. That previous meeting came in just the third game of 2015/16, with the Bianconeri having already lost to Udinese and AS Roma at that point.

They were held to a 1-1 draw in Turin but have turned their season around in recent months, winning their last 11 Serie A fixtures to climb back into title contention. They have also recorded three Coppa Italia wins during that streak, including a 3-0 rout of Inter earlier this week.

Yet coach Massimiliano Allegri is certainly not allowing his side to grow complacent, using a recent press conference to remind the players of the previous poor form and urging them to maintain their focus:

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"

We must not rest on our laurels and think too much about the first half of the season. While we won nine in a row before Christmas, we earned too few points before that run. It will take real quality to win what is now effectively a 17-game championship.

When you are in the midst of a winning streak you need to stay focused, keep yourself grounded, put in the same hard work in training and ensure you don’t lose the solidity that got you in that position in the first place.

"

As they head to Verona this weekend, they will hopefully remember those words as they take on a team that is notoriously difficult to beat. Currently sitting in 10th place, Chievo have conceded just 26 goals this term but have won just one of their last five fixtures, and coach Rolando Maran needs to arrest that slide.

He will be buoyed by their recent 3-3 draw with AS Roma, and Juventus will need to remain sharp if they are to record yet another victory against Chievo in Sunday’s lunchtime kick-off.

Date: Sunday, January 31, 2016

Time: 11:30 a.m. GMT/6:30 a.m. ET

Venue: Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi, Verona

TV Info: BT Sport 1 (UK) BeInSports 1 (USA)

Live Stream: BT Connect (UK)

Form Lines

Last five domestic results:

Fiorentina 2-0 ChievoCarpi 2-3 Juventus
Chievo 3-3 AS RomaJuventus 3-0 Hellas Verona
Bologna 0-1 ChievoSampdoria 1-2 Juventus
Chievo 1-1 EmpoliUdinese 0-4 Juventus
Lazio 4-1 ChievoJuventus 1-0 AS Roma

Probable Formations

Chievo: (4-3-1-2): Albano Bizzarri; Nicolas Frey, Fabrizio Cacciatore, Dario Dainelli, Massimo Gobbi; Lucas Castro, Ivan Radovanovic, Giampiero Pinzi; Valter Birsa; Paul-Jose M'Poku, Roberto Inglese

Unavailable: Bostjan Cesar (suspended), Mariano Izco (injured)

Juventus (3-5-2): Gigi Buffon; Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini; Stephan Lichtsteiner, Sami Khedira, Claudio Marchisio, Paul Pogba, Alex Sandro; Simone Zaza, Paulo Dybala

Unavailable: Mario Lemina, Rubinho and Roberto Pereyra (all injured)

Key Battle

VERONA, ITALY - JANUARY 17:  Valter Birsa (L) of AC Chievo Verona in action against Daniele Croce of Empoli FC during the Serie A match between AC Chievo Verona and Empoli FC at Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi on January 17, 2016 in Verona, Italy.  (Photo b

Having dropped points at home to Chievo at the start of the season, Juventus will certainly be relieved to know that Alberto Paloschi will not be playing. A product of the Milan youth sector, he arrived in Verona back in 2011, developing into a quality striker over the past two seasons, but seems set for a move to Swansea City.

Their head coach Francesco Guidolin told the Premier League club's official website that Paloschi "would be an important player" before they completed a deal, which means that Valter Birsa is likely to be Chievo's biggest threat against the Bianconeri.

Deadly from set pieces, the tweet above shows that the Slovenia international created more chances in the past calendar year than another player in the league, already weighing in with three goals and six assists in 2015/16.

The task of stopping Birsa will likely fall to Juve midfielder Claudio Marchisio, the Turin native occupying the deep-lying role in midfield and making him ideally suited to slow down the opposition's key player in this clash.

Player to Watch

TURIN, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 12:  Simone Pepe of AC Chievo Verona salutes his ex fans at the end of the Serie A match between Juventus FC and AC Chievo Verona at Juventus Arena on September 12, 2015 in Turin, Italy.  (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

While his team-mate may be the biggest threat, perhaps the man to watch most closely here is Simone Pepe. The winger enjoyed an incredible five-year stint at Juventus, winning four league titles and becoming a firm favourite with the club’s fans for his effort and attitude during that time.

Also suffering some terrible injuries, he was limited to 95 appearances for the club—scoring 13 goals—and it was with a heavy heart that he moved on this past summer. Discussing his exit with Tuttosport (h/t Football Italia) back in June, Pepe explained just what it meant to have played for the Turin giants:

TURIN, ITALY - JUNE 01:  Gianluigi Buffon (L) and Simone Pepe of Juventus FC during the Juventus Media Day at Juventus Arena on June 1, 2015 in Turin, Italy.  (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
"

Emptying out my locker at Vinovo gave me a huge sense of sadness. Aside from the injury, I had five fantastic years at an incredible club. I gave my heart, soul and a leg for Juventus. The Bianconeri fans realised that and always hailed me, showering me with affection. I will always maintain that incredible rapport with the supporters.

"

Yet the club and player have moved on, and the 32-year-old is clearly enjoying life with Chievo. In his last three appearances, Pepe has weighed in with two goals and an assist, powering his new side’s unbeaten run and helping them earn draws with AS Roma and Empoli plus a win over Bologna.

Odds (via Odds Shark)

Away win: 100-161

Home win: 19-4

Draw: 11-4

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