Serie A Preview: Juventus - Sampdoria

Juventus Back To Winning Ways

Ciro Ferrara's side returned to tasting victory against Siena at the weekend, but they were still far from convincing. Amauri's second goal in as many games did the business for his side, although there is plenty of improvement required against high-flying Sampdoria.

The Old Lady are two points behind their opponents on Wednesday and will be eager to leap frog them to keep the pressure on Inter. It will not be easy, though. The last four fixtures between this teams have ended in draws.

The last time Juve beat 'Doria at home was exactly four years ago in October 2005. That game ended 2-0 with David Trezeguet and Adrian Mutu scoring the goals. The Frenchman is likely to start on Wednesday alongside Amauri, as both Alessandro Del Piero and Vincenzo Iaquinta are injured.

These teams met last in February and the game ended 1-1. Giampaolo Pazzini scored his second Serie A goal for the club in that match, while Amauri got the equaliser. The Brazilian then went on a seven month scoring drought which was only broken ten days ago against Fiorentina. He will be looking to score his third in three games here. Despite their less than convincing display against Siena, Juve will be confident of a result.

Sampdoria Continue To Stride

At the start of the season, the idea that Samp would have been just two points behind Inter in Serie A by week 10 with six wins, two draws and one loss, as well as being the only team to beat the Champions, would have raised a few eyebrows. But this is the story of Samp's season, nothing short of remarkable.

Much of this is thanks to Giampaolo Pazzini. His six goals this term have seen his side continue being the standard bearers in the league. His partnership with Antonio Cassano has been just about perfect and this has been reflected in recent results. It was Cassano's assist that helped the hitman score in the emphatic 4-1 win against Bologna. Juventus have been warned.

The win against Bologna has restored confidence at Marassi, after draws against Parma and Lazio. Despite their return to form, 'Doria have never been good travellers when playing Juve in Turin. They have lost 31 of the 52 games played there in Serie A. That's an average ratio of 60 per cent  defeats. The rest ended in 17 draws and four losses. During those games, Doria conceded 92 and scored 37.

However, having already beaten Inter this season, Doria will fancy their chances. They can go top of the table, albeit for only 24 hours, if they obtain maximum points against the Old Lady.

Form Guide

Juventus

October 25 v Siena (A) - WON 1-0 (Serie A)

October 20 v Maccabi Haifa (H) - WON 1-0 (Champions League)

October 17 v Fiorentina (H) - DREW 1-1 (Serie A)

October 4 v Palermo (A) - LOST 2-0 (Serie A)

September 30 v Bayern Munich (A) - DREW 0-0 (Champions League)

Sampdoria

October 24 v Bologna (A) - WON 4-1 (Serie A)

October 18 v Lazio (A) - DREW 1-1 (Serie A)

October 4 v Parma (A) - DREW 1-1 (Serie A)

September 26 v Inter (H) - WON 1-0 (Serie A)

September 23 v Fiorentina (A) - LOST 2-0 (Serie A)

Team News

Juventus

The big news is that Vincenzo Iaquinta is out after being told he needs surgery to his knee. He is likely to miss at least four weeks of action. Alessandro Del Piero is still injured. Claudio Marchisio is out for the long-term, following knee surgery. Hasan Salihamidzic continues to struggle. Jonathan Zebina strained a flexor muscle against Haifa and so he misses this one, after sitting out the 1-0 win over Siena too.

Probable Starting XI 4-2-3-1: Buffon; Grygera, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Grosso; Camoranesi, Poulsen, Sissoko; Diego, Amauri; Trezeguet.

Sampdoria

Franco Semioli is still injured, but there is good news for former Juventus defender Daniele Gastaldello. He has returned to training action and could feature against his old side. There are no further injuries or suspensions for Luigi Del Neri's outfit.

Probable Starting XI 4-4-2: Castellazzi; Stakevicius, Lucchini, Rossi, Zauri; Mannini, Poli, Palombo, Ziegler; Pazzini, Cassano.

Players To Watch

Juventus

Diego: Keep an eye on the Brazilian ace. He set up Amauri for the winner on Sunday and he is likely to pull the strings again here.

Sampdoria

Antonio Cassano: Although Pazzini is scoring for fun, 'Il Talentino di Bari' will be the one to watch. The Old Lady will need to keep tight on him, or it could be trouble if he is allowed freedom.

Prediction

Like the last four games, this one is likely to end in a draw. Despite Juve being at home, Del Neri's men will come here to stand up and play their game. Both teams, so full of class, will cancel each other out on the night.

Juventus 2-2 Sampdoria

Salvatore Landolina, Goal.com