For the primary time, Juventus had a superb weekend in Serie A just a few days in the past. Not simply because they received their first league fixture because the first day of February, but in addition as a result of they received and received slightly little bit of assist from an unlikely supply when issues had been wanting like they had been going to stay establishment after the primary weekend of March.
And now as we work our solution to mid-March and the primary worldwide break of 2026, Juventus has the prospect to get much more assist — and that’s as a result of these two groups instantly in entrance of them will likely be lining up towards each other rather less than 24 hours after the Bianconeri take the sphere in Udine.
Juventus are at present in sixth place coming into the weekend. The catch is that they’re only a level off Roma in fourth place. And Roma is simply forward of fifth-place Como solely due to objective differential. Meaning with a Juventus win towards Udinese on Saturday night time a draw between Roma and Como all of 24 hours later and Luciano Spalletti’s squad is again within the driver’s seat with lower than 10 league video games to go within the 2025-26 season. It’s straightforward to jot down all of it down on paper and picture how good issues can occur, however Juventus are in one other place to win after which get some extra assist from some “buddies” in a while within the weekend.
That’s in the event that they care for their very own enterprise, after all.
Juventus claimed their first Serie A win in 5 weeks final weekend towards Pisa. They did as you hoped they’d do towards a staff that may possible be relegated to Serie B in a few months — though it did take slightly greater than 45 minutes for Juve to truly get a objective and take the lead. It was the type of half that you simply hoped can be the factor that kicks them into gear figuring out that they want wins and assist to recover from the hump and into the highest 4 once more.
That assist might arrive this weekend. However to take action towards a Udinese staff that they’ve already crushed twice this season. You already know what they are saying about making an attempt to beat the identical staff 3 times in a single season …
Ah, we received’t all right into a bunch of clichés right here, however these two video games had been each in Turin. This one, as you possibly can in all probability work out, will likely be on the Friuli — a spot the place Udinese has simply 5 wins in 14 video games to date this season. However as Roma can let you know, simply since you see Udinese could be very a lot mid-table each when enjoying on their residence area and on the entire this season, that doesn’t imply it’s a easy three factors to take again residence.
And guess who has simply as many wins in Serie A because the begin of February?
Yeah, that’s the staff that Juventus will likely be lining up towards on Saturday night time.
That’s extra to do with how Juve’s performed over these previous few weeks reasonably than Udinese being some type of drive domestically because the final time these two groups met within the opening rounds of the Spalletti period in Turin. They’re comfortably mid-table and have been there for some time now. They’re, although, coming off a 2-2 draw with Atalanta that was solely a precursor to a lot, rather more miserable type of consequence because the lone Italian staff left remaining within the Champions League.
(We received’t talk about that any additional.)
Udinese has the potential to be a entice recreation no matter Juventus having a complete week to relaxation up, get healthy-ish and put together for one opponent reasonably than having the UCL Spherical of 16 dominating their ideas. (If solely, proper?) Juve have dominated this matchup lately. They’ve received their final two visits to Udine by a mixed rating of 5-0. It’s the type of recreation that may both be one other step in what all of us hope is the best path heading into late March. Or it may be Juventus irritating the hell out of us but once more because the starting of February.
If Juventus can win in Udine and make it back-to-back victories for the primary time in almost two months, then they are going to hopefully get to get pleasure from their Sunday and watch Roma and Como sq. off. Put the strain on these in entrance of you — that’s all we are able to ask proper now. And also you do this by successful.
Regardless that Spalletti didn’t maintain a pre-match press convention on Friday, the massive staff information to return out of Continassa forward of the staff leaving for Udine is that Dusan Vlahovic won’t be known as up as he works his approach again from adductor surgical procedure.There’s a good probability, as of this writing, that there a striker making a return from harm and being included within the touring squad. That’s proper — it’s Arek Milik, who might very effectively be a part of the squad for Saturday night time’s recreation.The matchday squad has not been formally introduced simply but, so we don’t know for positive about Milik’s standing and if he’s for positive known as as much as face Udinese. Vlahovic, nonetheless, is unquestionably out, in accordance with just about all people in Italy.The one different participant out injured for Saturday night time’s recreation is fullback Emil Holm.Mattia Perin is predicted to maintain his beginning spot in objective for Juventus rather than Michele Di Gregorio. Perin has began the final three video games in all competitions, with Spalletti suggesting final week that he nonetheless has religion in each of his keepers no matter all the surface noise that could be going down.Weston McKennie is as soon as once more a yellow card away from having to serve a one-game suspension. (Contemplating the massive video games which might be awaiting Juventus after the worldwide break, perhaps he might get it out of the way in which now? Simply an thought, not a suggestion. Or perhaps it’s.)
Not simply because we might do this actually each single time I sit down to jot down one in all these items. However as a result of Spalletti has given the Italian loads of causes to invest in relation to the setup he may go together with because of his strikes throughout the second half of final weekend’s win over Pisa.
So, we ask the query lots of people are in all probability asking (and one they couldn’t ask Lucio himself contemplating he didn’t have a pre-match press convention): Will Kenan Yildiz play as a false 9 or his normal spot on the left wing?
Kenan Yildiz of Juventus FC appears to be like on throughout the serie Serie A Enilive match between AS Roma and Juventus FC at Stadio Olimpico on March 01, 2026 in Rome, Italy (Photograph by Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto through Getty Pictures) NurPhoto through Getty Pictures
At this level, it’s in all probability anyone’s guess. Some predicted lineup say Yildiz will likely be beginning in his normal spot on the left wing. Different predicted lineups say that Yildiz will take the spot of Jonathan David up entrance and play as a false 9 towards Udinese. So, mainly, there is no such thing as a overwhelming feeling about the place Spalletti will play Yildiz.
See the place issues is perhaps slightly complicated?
However the actual fact that no one is aware of for positive the place Yildiz is enjoying in all probability means the door is a minimum of considerably open to Spalletti enjoying Yildiz as a false 9 from the beginning. We bear in mind the final time that occurred just a few months again and issues didn’t precisely go all that effectively. (Even when Yildiz did rating in that recreation to a minimum of give his staff an opportunity at selecting up some factors towards the reigning Serie A champions.)
So, for now, we are going to simply have to take a seat right here and speculate slightly bit. As a result of there’s nothing incorrect with that. It’s nearly required to be a fan lately. Somewhat hypothesis right here, slightly hypothesis there — it’s by no means damage anyone … more often than not.
The factor is, what Yildiz was in a position to do enjoying in a free-roaming type of function like he did final weekend is a minimum of an fascinating factor for Spalletti to think about. It possible will get him nearer to objective though he might very effectively discover much less area to function towards a compact protection like Udinese might very effectively be. There’s some good in that, however there’s additionally some not-so-good as effectively. It’s actually what Spalletti has to think about when deciding the place to play Yildiz on Saturday night time.
There’s additionally this to think about: Are Juventus a greater staff with Yildiz up entrance as a false 9 or sticking with David within the beginning lineup in his normal spot? Nowadays, it’s laborious to actually know — and that’s an enormous a part of the issue.
When: Saturday, March 14, 2026.
The place: Bluenergy Stadium, Udine, Italy.
Official kickoff time: 8:45 p.m. native time in Italy and throughout Europe, 7:45 p.m. in the UK, 3:45 p.m. Japanese time, 2:45 p.m. Central time, 12:45 p.m. Pacific time.
(Please be aware that the kickoff time is perhaps an hour later than normal like it is going to be in the USA attributable to Daylight Saving Time going down final weekend. The time change will occur in Italy on March 29.)
Tv: TLN (Canada), Sky Sport Uno, Sky Sport Calcio, Sky Sport 251 (Italy).
On-line/Streaming: Paramount+, CBS Sports activities Golazo Community, Amazon Prime USA, DAZN USA, fuboTV (United States); DAZN Canada; fuboTV Canada (Canada); DAZN UK (United Kingdom); DAZN Italy (Italy).
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