Igor Tudor did start his reign as Juventus boss with a narrow win over Genoa, but they stumbled in the new manager’s second game in charge, with US Lecce up next for them. The Bianconeri went to Stadio Olimpico to face Roma and came away with a point from the Italian capital.
Manuel Locatelli gave Juventus the lead just minutes before half-time, only for them to concede earlier in the second period. The game could not produce a winner in the end, as both teams had to settle for a draw. Heading into that clash, the Bianconeri had hoped to get above Bologna or at least stay on par with the current fourth-placed incumbent.
Once they settled for a draw, Juventus were hoping for Bologna to drop points against Napoli, which is what happened on Monday. Hence, heading into the new matchday, the two teams are just a point apart, and the Bianconeri will at least target going ahead of their rival as Bologna will only play on Sunday and have a relatively tougher fixture at home to Atalanta.
Meanwhile, relegation-threatened Lecce are hoping to extend their lead away from the danger zone at the weekend, although they face the tough prospect of getting something away from Turin. Marco Giampaolo’s side does have some challenging fixtures ahead as well as some that they can potentially put a fight in.
Last weekend, they managed to salvage a draw against Venezia, as defender Federico Baschirotto scored an equaliser to bring the game level after his teammate Antonino Gallo had scored an own goal to give the visitors the lead.
The point gained from that clash will be seen as well-earned, as Lecce will hope to get as far away from the relegation zone, meaning a shock point or victory in Turin will be very valuable. However, the prospect of Giampaolo’s side beating Tudor’s men will be seen as impossible ahead of their meeting with Juventus.
Igor Tudor will be sweating on the fitness of key midfielder Khephren Thuram, as the Frenchman missed training with a muscular issue. While the wider expectation is for him to start alongside Locatelli, Tudor might side with caution and keep him on the bench.
In terms of the absentees, long-term casualties Arkadiusz Milik, Gleison Bremer, and Juan Cabal are joined by the likes of Federico Gatti and Samuel Mbangula on the sidelines.
There is the idea of seeing Douglas Luiz play in midfield alongside Locatelli if Thuram misses out, although in Tudor’s system Teun Koopmeiners might be the better fit. There might be no place for Francisco Conceicao in this lineup, as Kenan Yildiz and Nico Gonzalez will occupy the positions in the advanced role behind striker Dusan Vlahovic.
The Serb seems like Tudor’s preferred choice so far over Randal Kolo Muani in his short reign at Juventus thus far. Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah could occupy the wing-back roles, while Piere Kalulu, Renato Veiga, and Lloyd Kelly take the back three positions for Juventus against US Lecce.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Veiga, Kelly; McKennie, Locatelli, Koopmeiners, Weah; Yildiz, Gonzalez; Vlahovic
Lecce will only miss Filip Marchwinski from the squad ahead of this trip to Turin, as he is their long-term absentee. Beyond that, Marco Giampaolo has a fully-fit squad, although there are issues with goalscorers in the team.
Nikola Krstovic recently hit double figures for the team in Serie A, although after that there are only three other players who have scored more than once this season. With the team not in the mood to fire their way out of relegation talk, the manager will hope to keep his main man Krstovic fit for as long as possible, as he will lead the line against Juventus.
Lecce will set up in a 4-2-3-1 shape, with Kialonda Gaspar and Federico Baschirotto managing the central defensive spaces, with Frederic Guilbert and Gallo operating in the full-back roles. Lassana Coulibaly and Ylber Ramadani are the central midfield options for Giampaolo, with Thorir Helgason in the advanced role. Santiago Pierotti and Lameck Banda will feature in the wide roles, while Krstovic will lead the line for Lecce against Juventus on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Falcone; Guilbert, Gaspar, Baschirotto, Gallo; Coulibaly, Ramadani; Pierotti, Helgason, Banda; Krstovic
Once again, there will be question marks about Vlahovic’s performances, as the striker has not scored in his last four Serie A outings. To his credit, he did provide the assist to kickstart Tudor’s reign against Genoa, but the manager will be looking at the Serbian as the team’s main source of goals.
Vlahovic could have a big chance to polish his boots against relegation-threatened Lecce at the weekend, and one might expect him to take full advantage here. Luckily for him, Kolo Muani is not in the picture to start games under Tudor at the moment, as Vlahovic must make the best use of these opportunities to kill off any questions about his future.
Lecce are struggling for relevance, having failed to win their last eight games in Serie A. For now, they are hanging by a thread outside the relegation zone, and it may take a loss or two to push them back into the bottom three.
Juventus are the overwhelming favourites to take three points against Lecce, and Igor Tudor will be hoping this is the game where his team realises their attacking potential and free themselves from the handbrake. The Bianconeri have the players with firepower as they may come good for three goals at the very least on Saturday.
