Juventus vs. Napoli: Supercoppa Italiana Preview
The Supercoppa Italiana is normally a curtain-raiser for the Serie A campaign, but this season, the showpiece match between Juventus and Napoli was moved to the winter break to allow the latter a clear schedule to prepare for their Champions League play-off.
That move may have ended up being counterproductive for Napoli, who lost their tie against a more match-fit Athletic Bilbao, but that's now beside the point. Monday will be a matchup featuring two of Italy's most talented clubs—and two clubs that don't like each other much.
Indeed, when these two teams met in this same fixture two years ago, the game was intense. It was an attacking clinic but also highly physical, keeping referee Paolo Mazzoleni busy all night.
Monday's game promises more of the same. What will this year's Supercoppa bring? Who will lift the first piece of silverware up for grabs in Italy this season? Read on to find out.
Tale of the Tape
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| Juventus | Napoli | |
| 1897 | Founded | 1926 |
| I Bianconeri | Nickname | Partenopei |
| 1 | Table Position | 31 |
| 12-3-1 (39 points) | Record (W-D-L) | 7-6-3 (27 points) |
| 302 (defending champion) | Scudetto | 2 (last: 1989-90) |
| 9 (last: 1994-95) | Coppa Italia | 5 (defending champion) |
| 6 (defending champion) | Supercoppa | 1 (1990) |
UCL: 2 (last 1995-96) UEFA Cup: 3 (last 1992-93) | Continental Cups | UCL: 0 (best: quarter-final 2011-12) UEFA Cup: 1 (1988-89) |
| Massimiliano Allegri | Coach | Rafael Benitez |
| Gianluigi Buffon | Captain | Marek Hamsik |
| WDD3DW | Last 5 Matches | DDW4LW |
1 Multiple teams with games in hand may pass Napoli by the time the game kicks off.
2 Official titles recognized by FIGC. The team still claims two titles stripped following Calciopoli.
3 UEFA Champions League match.
4 UEFA Europa League match.
Juventus Overview
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Despite achieving a major season objective, December has been a bad month for Juventus.
The good news was that the Bianconeri managed to avoid the fate that befell them last year and advanced to the knockout stages of the Champions League. Progression to the last 16 was vital to make up the financial shortfall that came from last year's drop to the Europa League, as well as to continue to re-establish the team's reputation.
Roma's elimination from the competition also means Juve will be the only recipient of Italy's portion of the tournament's broadcasting fees, setting them up to make the kind of financial killing they made in the competition two years ago.
Even better news came when the Bianconeri avoided Europe's current heavyweights and got a relatively favorable draw in the form of struggling Borussia Dortmund.
On the other hand, Juve hadn't won a game in December going into Thursday's tilt with Cagliari.
While the goalless draws they played against Fiorentina and Atletico Madrid were understandable—the former to conserve energy for the big Champions League tie, the latter playing it safe to make sure they advanced in the competition—the 1-1 draw against Sampdoria was more troubling. The team simply wasn't finishing its chances and allowing the Blucerchiati dangerous looks at goal.
Their 3-1 victory over the Isolani was a welcome relief. It ensured that the team would finish 2014 atop the Serie A table, and if Milan deny Roma three points over the weekend, Juve's slender lead will be extended.
Carlos Tevez, goalless in December, broke his duck for the month with a poacher's goal three minutes in, and despite a consolation from a set piece, Zdenek Zeman's team never looked as though they would mount a comeback.
Now, Juve are looking to take their first piece of silverware this season against a team that has become a bitter rival.
Napoli Overview
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Napoli's season has been one of fits and starts.
It started with the extreme disappointment of their loss to Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League play-off round. Much of that may have been down to the fact the team requested that the Supercoppa be moved to the winter.
Without a competitive fixture to prepare for until after the European tie was over, Napoli was simply run over by a Bilbao side that was far more match fit.
The domestic season didn't start well, either. The team lost two of their first three games, and questions about Rafael Benitez's job security arose as a consequence.
After that rough start, however, they went on an 11-match unbeaten run—but only five of those matches were wins.
Until their victory over bottom side Parma on Thursday, their previous four league games yielded three draws and a loss. In the first of those draws, they blew three separate leads against Cagliari, and the next two, each saw them struggle to come from behind for a point against a team that, on paper, doesn't have their quality.
Napoli has had major problems in defense. They're joint-11th in the league in goals allowed at present. It's a department they're being beaten in by the likes of Atalanta and Chievo. Tiny Sassuolo—one of the worst defensive teams in the league last year—are dead even with them.
That defense will have to shape up against a Juve attack that they aren't used to seeing after Massimiliano Allegri changed from the 3-5-2 the team has employed in the last two-and-a-half seasons to a 4-3-1-2 that has made them a more dynamic offensive side.
The Partenopei can attack with class, but it's their back line that will have to win this game for them. Otherwise, Juve can simply outscore them.
Key Players: Juventus
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Arturo Vidal
You could forgive Juventus fans for wondering who replaced Arturo Vidal with a pod person this season.
In the weeks prior to the World Cup, Vidal had surgery to correct a knee problem that originated in a mid-March game against Fiorentina.
He played in Brazil and helped lead Chile to the knockout stages, but he missed most of Juve's preseason program to recover and has not at all resembled the force of nature that has led Juve to three straight titles.
Vidal has admitted that he is still not fully fit, but Thursday's game in Sardinia was a very encouraging sign.
Simply put, it was his best game of the season. He was all over the field, making tackles, setting up attacks, and threatening the goal himself. According to WhoScored.com, he finished with five tackles, three interceptions, four clearances, a blocked shot, a key pass and two shots on target—not to mention this absolutely sublime goal.
As he celebrated his strike, he pointed to the name on the back of his jersey, as if to remind everyone who he was. If he regains his fitness and becomes that player again, Juve will be an entirely new kind of dangerous.
Carlos Tevez
Thursday's goal against Cagliari was a welcome one for Carlos Tevez, who has alternated between looking frustrated and exhausted this month.
With Fernando Llorente misfiring and Alvaro Morata still not being trusted with starters' minutes, Allegri has leaned hard on Tevez, who has been in sparkling form this season but can only do so much on his own.
His effort at the Sant'Elia, a true poacher's goal after Giorgio Chiellini's flick was saved by Alessio Cragno, will give him confidence going into the Supercoppa.
Last year, he scored the final goal in Juve's 4-0 demolition of Lazio in the annual showpiece. He'll look to one up compatriot Gonzalo Higuain in his second Supercoppa.
Giorgio Chiellini
Giorgio Chiellini hasn't been at his best this season, but he's had a lot to deal with. Between system changes and a revolving door of defensive partners due to injuries and suspensions, there hasn't been a lot of consistency for him this season.
In spite of that, he's still one of the five best center backs in the world, and he's going to be expected to take on Higuain for much of the game. He restrained the Argentina international in both matches between the clubs last year and has a good history against Napoli, having bottled up Edinson Cavani in the majority of their meetings before the Uruguayan left for Paris Saint-Germain.
The Juve vice-captain will have his work cut out for him against Napoli's high-powered attack, but betting against him is never a safe wager.
Key Players: Napoli
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Jose Callejon
Jose Callejon is going to have a massive opportunity against Juventus.
Playing the right wing, Callejon will almost certainly be matched up against Juve's Patrice Evra. The aging Frenchman has done well when defending with the ball in front of him, but he no longer has the pace to track down a fleet-footed winger in a footrace.
The best evidence of this was delivered by Torino's Bruno Peres at the end of November. The Brazilian wing-back flew past the former Manchester United man on his way to an incredible solo goal.
If Callejon plays the way he's been playing all year—he is currently tied with four other players for second on the scoring charts behind Tevez—he could make life miserable for Evra and force Juve to shift players to help cover him.
That would open up space for other players, such as Gonzalo Higuain, to challenge Gianluigi Buffon. It's imperative for Benitez's men that Callejon wins his matchup.
Kalidou Koulibaly
One of the few new signings during an uncharacteristically quiet transfer window for Napoli, Kalidou Koulibaly has been the best defender on a team rife with shortcomings in the back.
He's going to be faced with the full force of a Juve attack that supplements Tevez, Llorente and Morata with incisive runs through the channels by the likes of Vidal, Claudio Marchisio and Paul Pogba. You can never be too careful of Stephan Lichtsteiner, either—the Swiss enjoys running in from the right and latching onto lobs from Andrea Pirlo.
Napoli's suspect defense must perform if they are to have a chance in this game, and that starts with Koulibaly. Tevez aside, Juve haven't exactly been clinical this year, and if Koulibaly bottles up the Argentine and forces the rest of the team to beat them, they stand a much better chance of winning.
Marek Hamsik
Slovakia captain Marek Hamsik knows Juve and their top-notch midfield well. He's been giving the Old Lady of Italian soccer problems since he arrived in Naples in 2007.
The advanced playmaker will be tasked with playing the balls to cut through the Juventus defense. If he gets going and starts giving Callejon, Higuain and Dries Mertens consistent service, not even the vaunted Bianconeri defense will be able to hold forever.
Manager: Juventus
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Max Allegri unlocked Juve's attacking potential last month when he switched from a 3-5-2 formation to a 4-3-1-2.
Allegri arrived at Juve on short notice and retained the 3-5-2 as a matter of convenience. He clearly didn't know how to get the most out of it the way his predecessor, Antonio Conte, did.
Conte was able to penetrate defenses that parked the bus by using sequences that were painstakingly choreographed in training. In contrast, Allegri allowed things to be more free flowing, which often led to many minutes of cycling the ball around the top of the penalty area looking for any sort of opening.
In the 4-3-1-2, Juve's players can run at defenders—a critical factor, considering how deadly Juve can be on the counterattack. Though the team stalled a bit this month, the Cagliari game saw more of the direct attacking play that got fans excited when the switch was made.
This will be one of Allegri's biggest tests since he joined Juventus. How he responds could dictate how much of a future he has with the club.
Manager: Napoli
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It's been a rough season for Benitez, and questions have arisen about his future in Naples.
Benitez's contract is up at the end of the year, and there is doubt as to whether it'll be extended. There have been reports of friction between the coach and owner Aurelio De Laurentiis over the lack of new arrivals this summer.
On Wednesday, Benitez claimed that he has turned down two offers to leave Napoli and coach elsewhere in the past few weeks. La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia) reported on Thursday that offers came from former employers in Liverpool and Valencia, although Benitez refuted that in his post-match press conference Thursday, saying that one of the offers was from a national team.
While speculation swirls around the coach, he has to figure out how to shore up his sagging defense. He never deviates from his 4-2-3-1 formation, so any changes will have to come down to subtler tactical moves to try and close down Tevez and Co.
Benitez did manage to succeed where Walter Mazzarri failed and beat Antonio Conte in March, but the game at the San Paolo was almost meaningless, considering how massive Juve's lead already was at that point.
He must now try to do the same to Allergi on neutral ground with a defense that could explode at any point. His work is cut out for him.
Recent Matchups
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Since Antonio Conte became Juventus' coach in 2011, Napoli and Juve have played each other eight times.
The Partenopei have only managed two wins—one on neutral soil in the 2011-12 Coppa Italia final and the 2-0 victory earned at the San Paolo last season.
In the other games, Juve have had the better of every one. Three times Napoli entered the Juventus Stadium on good runs of form and looking to stake their claim as worthy challengers, and three times they were sent south with their tails between their legs.
They have been outscored 8-0 in their last three visits to Turin.
The two draws they have earned at home haven't been sterling either. In 2011, they blew leads of 2-0 and 3-1 en route to 3-3 draws. They had to come from behind to take home a point after Giorgio Chiellini opened the scoring for Juve 10 minutes in the following season.
Then, there was the 2012 Supercoppa in Beijing. It was an eagerly anticipated affair between the consensus best sides in Italy, but it dissolved into a physical free-for all.
In all, nine yellow cards were handed out, including two to Juan Zuniga. Goran Pandev saw a straight red and Walter Mazzarri was sent from the touchline. Juve came out 4-2 winners in extra time, but the irate Partenopei skipped the medal ceremony in protest.
Key Matchup 1
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Patrice Evra vs. Jose Callejon
This matchup was mentioned earlier in the slideshow, but it merits its own discussion because of just how big an opportunity Patrice Evra's inclusion in the side is going to be for the Spaniard.
If Kwadwo Asamoah were fit, he would almost certainly be starting at left-back in a match like this. Evra simply doesn't have it in his legs to chase down a player like Jose Callejon anymore. He has to be cautious when moving upfield to join the attack and keep the winger in front of him.
If he slips by, he will pull Giorgio Chiellini or Leonardo Bonucci over to help, opening up the middle for Gonzalo Higuain to go one on one with the remaining defender.
The former Real Madrid man was one of the best players on the field when Napoli won against Juve for the first time since the start of the Conte era last season, and they will need him to take advantage of Evra's lack of pace if they want to win.
Key Matchup 2
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Giorgio Chiellini vs. Gonzalo Higuain
Giorgio Chiellini has made it his business to stop the best strikers Serie A throws at him. The likes of Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimovic hardly ever got a sniff when matched up against the pugnacious defender.
Gonzalo Higuain has likewise come up blank, albeit in a smaller sample size. The Argentine is responsible for a full quarter of Napoli's league goals this year and has added two more in the Europa League.
Powerful and able to score as both a dribbler and a target man, he could be the primary beneficiary of any success Callejon has against Evra if Chiellini is pulled out to help cover.
Juve want Chiellini to spend the majority of the game matched up against Higuain. If that happens, it means the game is going according to plan—and to Juve's advantage.
Key Matchup 3
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Carlos Tevez vs. Kalidou Koulibaly
If you're playing Juventus, Carlos Tevez is the man you want to stop. He has been on a tear this season, scoring 10 times in the league and another three in the Champions League.
With the rest of Juve's forwards misfiring and their dangerous midfielders off-kilter, stopping Tevez makes standing with the Bianconeri an easier prospect.
The man who will endeavor to stop Tevez is Kalidou Koulibaly. His pairing with Raul Albiol has had an inauspicious start, but he has been the better of the two and must step up to stop the Argentine. If he fails, it's going to be a long night for Napoli's back four.
Prediction
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This matchup hinges on Napoli's defense. The longer it holds, the more chance Napoli has of taking a lead and taking charge.
Of course, this season, a lead has been no guarantee that Napoli will win—which is the real problem. Juve are a more dynamic team now that they're playing a system Max Allegri knows how to maximize.
With such a saggy defense, the Partenopei are bound to leak a few goals—especially if Vidal continues the form he showed Thursday.
Napoli have a chance to make this a shootout with Callejon working against Evra, but in the end, I don't think Napoli's defense can keep the Bianconeri out.
My prediction: Juve take the Italian season's first piece of silverware with a 3-1 win.
