Juventus have Paulo Dybala back against his former club and the chance to go nine points clear, but Palermo ‘re-debut’ under Davide Ballardini.
Follow the build-up and action from all SEVEN of today’s Serie A games on the LIVEBLOG.
Juventus have Paulo Dybala back against his former club and the chance to go nine points clear, but Palermo ‘re-debut’ under Davide Ballardini.
Follow the build-up and action from all SEVEN of today’s Serie A games on the LIVEBLOG.
Last night Napoli lost 2-0 away to Inter, which means a victory today would propel the Bianconeri nine points clear at the top of the table – 10 if you consider they have a superior head-to-head record with the Partenopei.
Juve have won 21 of the last 22 Serie A rounds and go into this test with Dybala returning from a muscular problem to face his old club.
Simone Zaza is suspended with Giorgio Chiellini, Roberto Pereyra, Neto and Martin Caceres injured.
Dybala partners Mario Mandzukic, while Sami Khedira is back after his two-match ban.
Palermo reached ‘Peak Palermo’ this week when sacking Walter Novellino after one point from his grand total four games in charge.
They recalled Ballardini, who was fired in February following a blazing row with goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino, who went on live television to declare the Coach had “not spoken to the team before, during or after” his final game against Chievo.
The Sicilians are in the bottom three and increasingly desperate, but can they cause an upset in Turin?
Franco Vazquez is available again after suspension in the 3-0 defeat to Lazio, though Robin Quaison sits out a ban.
Ballardini changes system again to 3-5-2 with Aleksandar Trajkovski picked ahead of Alberto Gilardino, while Edoardo Goldaniga returns from a lengthy injury.
Juventus have won their last seven meetings with Palermo, home and away in all competition, scoring 13 goals and not conceding any.
The Rosanero did conquer Turin four times in 53 Serie A visits, most recently 3-1 in September 2010.
Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Rugani; Cuadrado, Khedira, Marchisio, Pogba, Evra; Dybala, Mandzukic
Juventus bench: Rubinho, Audero, Lichtsteiner, Alex Sandro, Padoin, Lemina, Sturaro, Hernanes, Asamoah, Morata
Palermo: Sorrentino; Goldaniga, Gonzalez, Andelkovic; Rispoli, Hiljemark, Jajalo, Chochev, Lazaar; Vazquez, Trajkovski
Palermo bench: Posavec, Alastra, Vitiello, Gilardino, Brugman, Balogh, Struna, Cristante, Maresca, La Gumina, Morganella, Pezzella