Nowadays, Juventus going to Naples to face Napoli is at all times going to be a really, essential home fixture. Napoli are, as a lot as you would possibly hate it, one of many requirements in Serie A nowadays, and that could be a place by which Juventus try to return to relatively than being regardless of the heck you wanna describe them because the previous few years. Napoli are, begrudgingly, the membership that has received two of the final three Serie A titles, and so they’ve achieved their most up-to-date triumph with the identical man who kicked off Juve’s decade filled with dominance through the 2010s.
What concerning the different man who ended Napoli’s three-decade-long title draught?
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Nicely, humorous you point out that. As a result of he’s going to be lining up within the guests’ dugout on the Maradona this weekend.
A recreation that at all times has loads of narrative nowadays has added a fair higher, extremely shiny bald-headed layer to it. That’s as a result of Sunday night time’s showdown between defending champions Napoli and visiting Juventus on the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona will probably be a managerial matchup between the 2 guys final to win a title in Naples. You should have Antonio Conte on one facet, and you then’ll have Luciano Spalletti in his first journey again to the Maradona on the opposite. One man was Juve’s captain and one a lot as coach in Turin, whereas the opposite received Napoli’s first Scudetto since 1990 and received an enormous fats tattoo to indicate for it. It’s narrative galore, and the form of matchup between two excellent managers that may have the Italian press licking their chops at all the potentialities of what to speak about.
However don’t neglect this: it’s additionally second place internet hosting seventh place, with the latter actually making an attempt to make a press release in relation to their capability to show issues round below their new supervisor.
Oh, and let’s not neglect this reality, too: this previous summer time, as an alternative seeing their former supervisor keep at Napoli and Igor Tudor subsequently be confirmed. (Everyone knows how that turned out and thus the explanation Spalletti is right here.)
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See? That’s narrative aplenty, of us.
After three straight attracts on both facet of the worldwide break, Juventus head to Naples with their greatest (but nonetheless transient) run of type below Spalletti, with three straight wins that simply so occur to come back in three completely different competitions. Juve’s received their first win within the Champions League, they really beat a bottom-half group in Cagliari after which received their Coppa Italia opener on Tuesday night time. That’s one thing, and the primary time they’ve received three fixtures in a row since September.
In fact, Juve additionally head to Naples removed from full power. They’re going to be with out the perfect defender. They’re going to be with out essentially the most in-form possibility on the No. 9 place. They’re all the way down to the naked bones of their depth in protection. That is removed from how Spalletti needs to face the defending champions on their residence turf.
The counterpoint is that Napoli are removed from wholesome as nicely. Conte’s facet will take the sphere towards Juventus with no good variety of their greatest names, with midfielder Stanislav Lobotka being the newest harm doubt for Napoli. They’ve received 4 video games on the bounce in all competitions, nevertheless it’s not like Napoli are utterly untouchable this season by any means. Conte has, to his credit score, seemingly gone again to a setup that made Napoli so profitable final season to try to deal with quite a lot of the accidents, and the truth that they’re nonetheless proper within the combine in a really crowded prime 4 that’s solely separated by one measly level is a testomony to the job he can do.
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Irrespective of if it’s been with Spalletti or now Conte, Napoli have dominated the head-to-head matchup in recent times, profitable 4 of their final six video games towards Juventus in Serie A.
However with Inter Milan completely hammering Como on Saturday and Bologna going through Lazio earlier within the day on Sunday, Juventus do have an opportunity to benefit from some leads to entrance of them and transfer up within the league desk. That’s one thing that we’ve Juve not at all times do each this season and the final couple of years. With issues so tightly packed on the prime of the ready, there’s the possibility for lots of motion with every passing week. And that’s one thing that Juve desperately have to get entangled in as quickly as they presumably can.
Possibly Juventus’ penchant for elevating their recreation towards among the greatest in Serie A regardless of their relative struggles on the entire the previous few years will present its face once more on Sunday night time towards Napoli. Or perhaps it is going to go like so most of the different video games towards Napoli during the last couple of years.
Both approach, that is about to be a spectacle merely due to who’s going to be heading again to the Maradona for the primary time for the reason that spring of 2023 when he had the town of Naples celebrating for weeks on finish.
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TEAM NEWS
Simply in case you’re questioning how issues are happening the harm entrance, there was not one however two Juventus gamers present process surgical procedure to restore accidents they’ve suffered inside the previous week. So, yeah … they’re nice.
Dusan Vlahovic underwent surgical procedure for his “excessive grade” adductor harm and will probably be out for about 4 months.
As bizarre because it sounds, Federico Gatti additionally having to endure surgical procedure for a meniscus harm is likely to be the larger deal within the fast future just because Juventus solely has two wholesome middle backs out there for the journey to Naples. Gatti is anticipated to be out not less than a month.
These two wholesome middle backs, by the way in which, are Pierre Kalulu and Lloyd Kelly. With Spalletti anticipated to stay with a again three and Teun Koopmeiners taking part in as a left-sided middle again the previous month, it’s fairly straightforward to determine what Juventus’ protection will seem like towards Napoli.
The opposite injured gamers aren’t any shock: Gleison Bremer, Daniele Rugani, Carlo Pinsoglio and (in fact) Arek Milik.
Juventus backup goalkeeper Mattia Perin is again within the squad after Spalletti stated he was coping with some fatigue following begins towards Bodø/Glimt and Cagliari. Michele Di Gregorio began in Perin’s place throughout his customary Coppa Italia responsibility midweek.
As has been the case for the previous few weeks, Koopmeiners remains to be one yellow card away from having to serve a one-game suspension. This issues with Bologna and Roma subsequent up on the schedule in Serie A in addition to the defensive depth crunch Spalletti is at present coping with.
Spalletti has determined that Juve won’t journey to southern Italy the day earlier than the conflict with Napoli as has been the case for years now. As a substitute, they’ll depart Sunday morning to try to keep away from the infamous antics from Napoli supporters on the group resort the night time earlier than.
JUVENTUS PLAYER TO WATCH
We received’t be seeing Dusan Vlahovic in a Juventus jersey till winter turns to spring. Which means the subsequent 4 months will probably be fairly the fascinating time for Luciano Spalletti and Juve to determine how they wish to take this assault ahead this season (and certain past that).
What higher approach to enter December than with anyone who has “Iceman” as his nickname?
Allow us to focus on.
If we’re to imagine the studies popping out of Italy to finish the work week, it is going to in all probability be Jonathan David beginning in Vlahovic’s spot when Juventus tackle Napoli. Contemplating David has had a productive final couple of weeks, that looks like the correct of transfer for Spalletti — particularly when you think about simply how a lot the membership has thought Canada’s all-time main scorer could be on the coronary heart of the ahead line from the get-go this season.
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Is that this the way in which we might have appreciated to see David get his first actual shot at constant taking part in time at Juve?
No, in fact not. However when you think about the truth that we had been sitting right here just some months in the past pondering that it could be David beginning most of the time and Vlahovic wouldn’t even be on the membership … nicely, that is principally that in a bizarre approach for these subsequent three or 4 months not less than.
The place Loïs Openda matches into all this nonetheless stays to be seen. Spalletti has already stated that they’re completely different sorts of strikers, so it’s one thing which may enable them to play alongside one another extra usually because the season goes on. However, for now (and so long as Kenan Yildiz remains to be cooking), you are feeling like there’s going to be a one or the opposite form of choice for Spalletti.
David, fortunately, is beginning to present indicators off life after his tough begin to life in Turin. His efficiency towards Udinese was one among his greatest since donning bianconero for the primary time. Say what you need concerning the lineup that Udinese had on the market — and it definitely wasn’t 100% first alternative — however David must maintain placing these sorts of performances collectively. Targets, objective contributions, no matter — he must proceed to construct.
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Going through Napoli will probably be one among his greatest checks up to now since he signed with Juventus. But when Juve imagine he generally is a striker to construct the squad round, there’s no higher time than now to indicate simply that.
MATCH INFO
When: Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.
The place: Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples, Italy.
Official kickoff time: 8:45 p.m. native time in Italy and throughout Europe, 7:45 p.m. in the UK, 2:45 p.m. Jap time, 1:45 p.m. Central time, 11:45 a.m. Pacific time.
HOW TO WATCH
Tv: Fox Deportes (United States); TLN (Canada); TNT Sports activities 1, TNT Sports activities 4 (United Kingdom).
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On-line/Streaming: , DAZN USA, Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Fox Sports activities app, foxsports.com (United States); DAZN Canada; fuboTV Canada (Canada); DAZN UK (United Kingdom); DAZN Italia, Sky Go Italia (Italy).
Different stay viewing choices could be discovered , and as at all times, it’s also possible to observe together with us stay and all of the silly issues we are saying . In the event you haven’t already, on Black & White & Learn All Over, and be part of within the dialogue under.