Juventus vs. Genoa: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream and TV Info
Having recording what could well be a season-defining win on Wednesday, Juventus return to domestic action on Sunday. The Bianconeri were superb in the Champions League this week, scoring three times at the Westfalenstadion to emerge 5-1 aggregate winners over Borussia Dortmund.
After such a display—discussed at length here—Massimiliano Allegri will have to re-engage his players, ensuring their focus is on the match with Genoa. Former Juventus youth team coach Gian Piero Gasperini would enjoy nothing more than stealing three points away from Juventus Stadium, where the home side will be looking to build upon their lead over AS Roma in Serie A.
Now with a 14-point cushion at the top of the table, injuries and rotation mean Allegri will likely field a vastly different lineup for Sunday's match. Nevertheless, he will demand another victory over a side who come into this game sitting in eighth place, having been as high as third earlier in the campaign.
They retain hopes of a European berth but need to keep pace with the sides above them as a gap is beginning to emerge after three games without a win. They remain the only team to beat Allegri's Juventus in Serie A, and the Bianconeri will certainly be looking to avenge that October loss here.
Date: Sunday, March 22
Time: 3 p.m. CET (2 p.m. GMT / 10 a.m. EDT)
Venue: Juventus Stadium, Turin
TV Info: BT Sport 1 (UK) beINSports (U.S.)
Live Stream: beIN Sports CONNECT (U.S.)
Form Lines
Last five domestic results:
Predicted Lineups
Juventus (3-5-2)
Genoa (3-4-3)
Mattia Perin; Facundo Roncaglia, Nicolas Burdisso, Sebastien De Maio; Edenilson, Juraj Kucka, Andrea Bertolacci, Zakarya Bergdich; Leonardo Pavoletti, M'Baye Niang, Diego Perotti
Key Battle
Genoa have been struggling for goals this season, netting just 37 times thus far in 2014-15. Alessandro Matri remains their leading scorer with his tally of seven remaining a team-high, while Iago Falque—another former Juve man—has six but is suspended on Sunday.
That is likely to see them lean heavily on M’Baye Niang against the Bianconeri, with the on-loan Milan striker having netted three goals in his last four appearances. Having also created the winner against city rivals Sampdoria during that spell, the 20-year-old is certainly a player the home side must be wary of.
The task of stopping Niang is likely to fall to Andrea Barzagli, who made his first start since May 2014 just last week. The 33-year-old looked sharp against Palermo and will need to be alert to the threat posed by the young Frenchman.
Player to Watch
While Niang is Genoa’s best chance of grabbing a goal, at the opposite end of the pitch Mattia Perin can expect a busy afternoon. The talented goalkeeper continues to impress, with statistics from Fox Soccer showing only Marco Sportiello of Atalanta has made more saves than his current total of 96.
His form over the past few seasons has seen him linked with a move away from the Rossoblu, with Inter and Liverpool rumoured to be interested in signing the 22-year old. The player himself insisted to reporters recently that he is “not thinking about” the speculation, per Football Italia, but it appears this will be his final season with Genoa.
With Juventus boasting the league’s most prolific attack, the game is likely to allow him plenty of opportunities to showcase his talents, and the Bianconeri will need to find a way past him in order to claim all three points.
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Home win: 20/69
Away win: 9/1
Draw: 9/2
.png?w=600 "NBA Playoff Bracket After 76ers Win")
