Max Allegri explains why he decided to start Arkadiusz Milik rather than Kenan Yildiz, warning Juventus ‘have great respect for Empoli.’
It kicks off at the Allianz Juventus Stadium in Turin at 17.00 GMT.
You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game, Atalanta–Udinese and Milan–Bologna on the LIVEBLOG.
A victory here would put the Bianconeri temporarily four points clear at the top of the Serie A table, but Inter have two games in hand.
The Nerazzurri face Fiorentina tomorrow and their Atalanta clash was rescheduled to February because of the Supercoppa Italiana fixtures.
There are two changes from the side that started last week, as Danilo is rested because he is one yellow card away from suspension, while Milik is picked rather than teenage sensation Yildiz.
“It is a choice for this match. Yildiz has done well recently, Milik is in good shape, considering how I think the match will pan out, Milik could be more useful from the start. Yildiz could be a useful option off the bench,” Allegri told DAZN.
“As for Danilo, there was the risk of going to Milan with only three defenders, so we need to be careful.”
Juventus do otherwise seem to have found a degree of consistency, as in the absence of Federico Chiesa and Adrien Rabiot, the wingers are Filip Kostic and Andrea Cambiaso.
“When Tim Weah comes on, he has a good impact, Iling is the same. Kostic and Cambiaso are reliable, doing very well and Cambiaso can also move to a more central role the way he did against Lecce.”
Empoli are in the relegation zone, but new coach Davide Nicola made a big impression on his debut in a 3-0 victory over Monza.
“We have great respect for Empoli, this is a complicated game and we need to work for the three points.”
⚪⚫ Introducing your #JuveEmpoli starters 👊 pic.twitter.com/C3QDGyGvla
— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) January 27, 2024