Juventus v Empoli – Preview: Bianconeri look to crush hapless Azzurri

Published on: 01 April 2016

Juventus will look to inflict further misery on out of form Empoli when the two sides meet at the Juventus Stadium on Saturday evening.

The Azzurri’s season has collapsed in 2016, with Marco Giampaolo’s side having won just once since the turn of the year. By contrast, the Bianconeri have not been beaten in Serie A in 2016 and have risen to the top of Serie A in the process.

The champions have won 19 of their last 20 games, with a draw against Bologna the only blip in that run. By contrast, the Azzurri stopped a four game losing streak with two recent draws, but have gathered just four points in eight games.

Massimo Maccarone gave Empoli the lead in the corresponding fixture at the Stadio Carlo Castellani only to see Juventus surge from behind to claim a 3-1 victory. That win ensured that Juventus extended their unbeaten run against the Azzurri to 11, with their last defeat coming as long ago as 1999.

Indeed, the Tuscan side have emerged victorious just twice in the 19 meetings between the two, losing 14 of the games so far. They have avoided defeat just once in Turin, a 0-0 draw in 1998.

Empoli will hope to take advantage of a much-weakened Juventus team that have a number of star players missing for differing reasons. Leonardo Bonucci, Alex Sandro and Sami Khedira will all sit out through suspension, while Massimiliano Allegri has a sizeable injury list too.

Paulo Dybala is a doubt, while Martin Caceres, Giorgio Chiellini and Claudio Marchisio are all almost certain to miss out, giving something of a makeshift feel to the Bianconeri squad.

Daniele Rugani will deputise for Chiellini, while Hernanes is set to start in midfield. This will allow Alvaro Morata and Mario Mandzukic to play up front, with the Croat looking to add to the goal he scored in the aforementioned win earlier in the campaign.

By contrast, Empoli’s squad is reduced only by the injury to Uros Cosic, so Giampaolo can count on his first team as he looks to pick up desperately needed form.

Form Guide: Juventus (D-W-W-W-W) Empoli (L-L-L-D-D)

Expected Starting XIs

Juventus: Buffon; Lichsteiner, Rugani, Barzagli, Evra; Pogba, Hernanes, Asamoah; Cuadrado; Mandzukic, Morata.

Empoli: Skorupski; Laurini, Costa, Tonelli, Mario Rui; Zielinski, Paredes, Croce; Saponara; Pucciarelli, Maccarone.

Source: forzaitalianfootball.com

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