As Juventus get set to play their closing 90 minutes of the 2024-25 season, issues couldn’t be any extra easy for Igor Tudor and his squad.
You win and also you get within the Champions League subsequent season.
You fiddle, then you definitely’re taking future out of your personal fingers and doubtlessly leaving issues as much as likelihood.
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These are the 2 situations {that a} still-banged up Juventus squad take with them to Venice for a season finale that has a complete lot using on it for each the Bianconeri and Venezia on Sunday evening. Juventus enter the ultimate matchday of the season with the slight benefit for Serie A’s closing Champions League spot, holding a one-point benefit over Roma in fifth and two-point lead over sixth-place Lazio. However, on the identical time, Juve will probably be lining up in opposition to a Venezia workforce that can have one final likelihood to struggle for his or her Serie A lives, though they want another outcomes to go their approach as effectively in the event that they wish to keep in Italy’s high flight for one more season.
And also you higher consider that, irrespective of how a lot Juventus management their very own future to qualify for the Champions League, there will probably be loads of scoreboard watching from this within the stands and people on their couches similar to final weekend.
So whereas so many people can nonetheless suppose again to all the factors of the season during which factors had been dropped that might have prevented this type of state of affairs on the ultimate day of the marketing campaign, that’s all a moot level now. Juventus have one factor in entrance of them that they should do — and that’s to win to make sure a Champions League payday that’s reportedly price round a minimum of €60 million and can most likely permit them to not have some kind of fireplace sale this summer time.
However they must get there first.
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The way in which they do that’s to beat Venezia and never tempt destiny with one final occasion of dropped factors throughout this extremely irritating season.
Venezia can stake declare to one of many 16 (!!) attracts Juventus have recorded this season. And if not for Dusan Vlahovic’s penalty within the 94th minute, then this season-ending matchup would look much more fascinating contemplating what each golf equipment could be sitting on factors sensible. But it surely confirmed that Venezia, with Eusebio Di Francesco and his second straight relegation battle, can provide Juventus bother if the Bianconeri fiddle.
And it’s effectively established that Venezia will probably be making an attempt to keep away from what occurred to Di Francesco’s Frosinone only one 12 months in the past. (Frosinone, by the way in which, part of the craziness occurring within the Serie B relegation playoff. Gotta love Italian soccer all the time giving us some kind of off-field drama, proper?)
Venezia have, to their credit score, been a significantly better workforce at residence in comparison with what they’ve achieved away from the Penzo this season. Twenty of the 29 factors Venezia have recorded this season have come alongside the lagoon. Venezia’s aim differential at residence (minus-4) is significantly better than how they’ve achieved away from Venice (minus-19) this season. In order a lot as they’re a workforce that might very effectively find yourself getting relegated on Sunday evening, they’re not precisely a whole misplaced trigger at residence this season alongside the traces of last-place Monza.
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Look no additional than Venezia profiting from a Fiorentina squad that was simply a few days faraway from their Convention League elimination to upset La Viola 2-1 two weeks in the past. If Venezia hadn’t gained that recreation, they might have already been relegated.
So the underside line is that Juventus gained’t have issues simple on Sunday evening. Removed from it actually. That is the type of matchup that has a lot using on it for either side that it’s arduous to actually predict. Venezia are enjoying for his or her Serie A lives — and that’s a harmful factor for Juve to attempt to completely decelerate.
Or, we will simply go together with how Tudor mentioned he’ll strategy issues as soon as he arrives on the Penzo on Sunday evening: “At 19.45, it’s a matter of life or dying, every little thing else is irrelevant.”
TEAM NEWS
Pierre Kalulu will probably be serving the second recreation of his two-match suspension for his “violent conduct” within the draw in opposition to Lazio.
Extra constructive suspension information is that Khephren Thuram and Nicolo Savona are again after being compelled to take a seat out final weekend’s win over Udinese.
The massive damage fear during the last couple of days concerned Renato Veiga and Weston McKennie, who each skilled away from the group on Friday. Fortunately, as Tudor famous at his pre-match press convention, each gamers had been in a position to prepare with the group on Saturday and needs to be good — though perhaps not within the beginning lineup — to face Venezia.
Additionally again within the squad: Teun Koopmeiners, who had missed the final 5 video games with an Achilles damage he suffered again in mid-April. Koopmeiners skilled with the group on Saturday after being restricted to particular person work for a lot of the week.
Tudor described Federico Gatti’s standing as “the identical as in current weeks,” which hints on the hard-nosed Italian defender doubtless being restricted to coming off the bench in opposition to Venezia.
Which means the one different gamers who will probably be unavailable for Juventus’ season finale are the three long-term accidents: Gleison Bremer, Juan Cabal and Arek Milik.
Tudor mentioned that his squad is “targeted and creating” heading into the season finale.
JUVENTUS PLAYER TO WATCH
Choices, once more, are restricted in protection, and that nearly actually means any person who isn’t completely accustomed to enjoying as a middle again in a three-man backline will probably be requested to do exactly that.
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So, let’s focus on the Portuguese fullback who will doubtless must be a middle again in Venice.
Parma v Juventus – Serie A
It took some time for Alberto Costa to get his first Juventus begin since arriving in January. It took a lot much less time for him to get his second begin as a Juve participant. Each situations have basically come out of necessity due to all of the accidents and suspensions that Tudor has needed to cope with the final couple of weeks, however the younger Portuguese fullback has been as much as the problem on each situations.
Now, with a lot using on what Juventus can do Sunday evening and one closing matchday this season during which accidents and suspensions will severely hamper who Tudor will even have obtainable to him, Costa is certain to be beginning in opposition to Venezia — and sure to take action as one of many again three if the anticipated beginning lineups are on the cash.
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Which, clearly, shouldn’t be the place during which Juventus signed him to play. However one they immediately want him to play like he has been as soon as once more.
Even because it’s taken some time to see the 21-year-old Costa crack the beginning lineup, he has appeared as much as it over the course of the primary two begins he’s made as a Juventus participant. It’s come at a time during which loads has been altering round him by way of each the gamers round him and the place he’s needed to play. Over his first handful of appearances as a Juve participant, he’s performed as a wingback, a fullback and a part of the again three — and that’s slightly below Tudor.
So why not one other change from the place he performed final week, proper? Solely feels applicable with all the altering and lack of consistency that we’ve seen Juve cope with in protection this season.
MATCH INFO
When: Sunday, Could 25, 2025.
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The place: Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, Venice, 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: Fox Sports activities Deportes (United States); Sky Sport Uno, Sky Sport 251, Sky Sport 4K (Italy).
On-line/Streaming: Paramount+, foxsports.com, Fox Sports activities app (United States); fuboTV Canada (Canada); OneFootball.com (United Kingdom); DAZN Italia, Sky Go Italia (Italy).
Different stay viewing choices could be discovered right here, and as all the time, you can even comply with together with us stay and all of the silly issues we are saying on Twitter. If you happen to haven’t already, on Black & White & Learn All Over, and be a part of within the dialogue under.
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