Juventus entered the ultimate month of the 2024-25 season with two massive showdowns within the race for the highest 4, with Bologna and Lazio on the schedule inside the span of eight days. It was checked out as a possible do-or-die situation for the Bianconeri and their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League subsequent season just because issues have been so tightly packed that any type of slip-up would end in someone overtaking them.
But, regardless of getting all of two factors out of a attainable six, Juventus are nonetheless in fourth place and nonetheless accountable for their very own future in terms of enjoying in Europe’s premier membership competitors subsequent season.
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Juventus, irrespective of how shorthanded they are going to be this weekend, can technically clinch fourth place with a win over Udinese this Sunday evening in Turin. To try this, nonetheless, they may want a whole lot of assist. A lot assist that it’s simpler to simply record it right here slightly than the choice. So, Juventus will clinch a spot within the Champions League if the next occurs this weekend:
OK, that’s quite a bit that should occur for Champions League qualification to not be a speaking level heading into the season finale subsequent weekend. And it appears extremely unlikely with how rotten Juve’s luck has seemingly been for a lot of this 2024-25 marketing campaign.
However wait. Wait, wait, wait. You’re telling me I’ll really need to root for Inter to win this weekend? Is that truly going to need to occur if Juve need one other massive little bit of assist in terms of a facet from Rome that they’re tied on factors with and competing for a spot within the Champions League?
OK, so let’s simply do it this manner: We’re going to root for Not Lazio to win slightly than simply come out and say we hope Inter keep within the Serie A title race going into the ultimate weekend of the season. That sounds higher. That’s mainly saying we wish Lazio to lose slightly than saying we wish Inter to win. See how I did that? All of it labored out.
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However irrespective of the way you spin it, the very fact is that Juventus are nonetheless within the driver’s seat to complete in fourth place. I don’t know the way based mostly on the final couple of weeks and the 2024-25 season on the whole, however they’re. They win the ultimate two video games of the season, they’re within the Champions League subsequent yr. They proceed to drop any type of factors in opposition to Udinese after which Venezia, and qualifying for the Champions League could be very a lot at main threat of not taking place.
In some way, regardless of recording two factors out of a attainable six of their final two video games, Juventus are nonetheless accountable for their very own Champions League future. It’s laborious to get it, however whilst they’ve failed to choose up wins the final couple of weeks, they’ve seen different outcomes fall their manner, too.
Which, in a manner, makes it all of the extra irritating that they haven’t been capable of really take full benefit of the craziness occurring instantly behind them within the standings.
So in opposition to a Udinese facet that’s mainly enjoying for delight at this level — they’re sitting in twelfth getting into the weekend and at no threat of being relegated — and has solely gained one recreation for the reason that first day of March, Juventus will attempt to keep away from a 3rd straight draw.
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With so many gamers out on account of accidents and suspension, it’s laborious to say what sort of form this Juventus group will come into Sunday with. They know what they need to do to get into the Champions League subsequent season, however that’s additionally one thing we might have stated for thus many weeks prior. Udinese aren’t on the stage of Bologna and Lazio, certain, however we’ve seen this Juventus group play all the way down to their opponents loads of instances earlier than.
They do this once more Sunday, then the prospect to manage their very own future in all probability isn’t there as the brand new work week begins. With each contender for the highest 4 enjoying on the similar time this weekend, it can have a really feel of these not enjoying in all probability attempting to not scoreboard watch — or, in all probability on this case, pill watch via an assistant coach — an excessive amount of in comparison with the choice.
For now, although, Juve simply must handle enterprise on their residence entrance for the ultimate time this season. As a result of the very last thing we need to see occur is Juve getting into the ultimate week of the season attempting to qualify for the Champions League and keep away from a file the place they end with extra attracts than wins.
TEAM NEWS
As one two-match ban involves an finish and Juventus welcome again Kenan Yildiz, they’ve seen Pierre Kalulu’s season end up a few weeks early after he was suspended for his pink card in opposition to Lazio.
Including insult to harm (or suspension): Khephren Thuram and Nicolo Savona are additionally suspended this weekend after they each picked up a yellow card within the draw with Lazio.
Teun Koopmeiners remains to be out injured with the Achilles harm he picked up final month in opposition to Lecce.
There’s additionally the three season-ending accidents: Gleison Bremer, Juan Cabal and Arek Milik.
Andrea Cambiaso and Lloyd Kelly are each anticipated to be again within the squad after lacking final week’s draw with Lazio on account of their respective muscle accidents. Each gamers skilled with the remainder of the group on Saturday.
Federico Gatti’s standing is a bit unknown after he reportedly skilled separate from the group on Saturday. Gatti was solely capable of come on late in Juve’s 1-1 draw with Lazio in his first look since breaking a bone in his heel final month.
Tudor confirmed at his pre-match press convention that Juventus will probably name up some gamers from the Subsequent Gen squad to present them a bit of bit extra depth to fill out the bench. The Juve Subsequent Gen season got here to an finish within the Serie C playoffs on Might 7.
4 Juventus gamers are liable to suspension for the season finale in opposition to Venezia in the event that they choose up a yellow card this weekend: Cambiaso, Manuel Locatelli, Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah.
Juventus might be carrying their new residence package for the 2025-26 season after they take rhe area for his or her closing residence recreation of the 2024-25 marketing campaign.
JUVENTUS PLAYER TO WATCH
… There’s not less than just a few choices to select from, proper?
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Yeah, I feel so. Though it positively doesn’t really feel that manner as of late with all of accidents and suspensions. However I suppose that simply makes issues a bit of simpler to determine for this part … or one thing like that.
That’s very true in protection the place the restricted choices could properly imply that Tudor is pressured to go away from his most well-liked three-man backline.
SS Lazio v Juventus – Serie A
It doesn’t matter what formation Tudor finally ends up going with, it’s prety straightforward to determine that Renato Veiga might be a key a part of it. That’s just because there aren’t many different central defenders obtainable to face Udinese this weekend. Even when Kelly returns to the fold after coaching with the group on Saturday, Juve may have simply two heart backs obtainable — and who is aware of simply how up to the mark the on-loan Englishman is.
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So, with all of that added into the equation, it’s fairly clear that Tudor wants Veiga — in what’s going to in all probability be his closing residence recreation as a Juventus participant together with his short-term mortgage deal coming to an finish quickly — to be the chief on the again for not less than one weekend.
(Then once more, Juve’s true chief on the again hasn’t performed since early October, so it’s not like that is something new to this membership this season.)
The factor that has hampered Juventus’ protection all season lengthy has been the one second of execution wherein issues instantly go incorrect. We noticed it in opposition to Lazio final weekend, with Veiga enjoying his half in seeing Juve’s lead go away within the closing minute after battling down a person for a lot of the second half.
With Tudor attempting to function inside such tremendous margins, it’s these sorts of issues that Veiga — and Juventus’ protection as a complete — must keep away from in any respect prices. Whether or not they can do this or not stays to be seen, however a participant who has achieved comparatively properly since coming to Turin might want to have only a couple extra constructive performances earlier than he heads again to London if his present group needs to attain the naked minimal of seasonal objectives.
MATCH INFO
When: Sunday, Might 18, 2025.
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The place: Allianz Stadium Turin, Italy.
Official kickoff time: 8:45 p.m. in Italy and the Central European time zone, 7:45 p.m. in the UK, 2:45 p.m. Jap time, 11:45 a.m. Pacific time.
HOW TO WATCH
Tv: No TV choices within the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom or Italy.
On-line/Streaming: Paramount+ (United States); fuboTV Canada (Canada); OneFootball.com (United Kingdom); DAZN Italia, Sky Go Italia (Italy).
Different dwell viewing choices could be discovered right here, and as all the time, you can even comply with together with us dwell and all of the silly issues we are saying on Twitter. Should you haven’t already, on Black & White & Learn All Over, and be a part of within the dialogue under.
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