A big 10-day period for Juventus starts on Sunday when they journey to Napoli in Serie A.
The Old Lady hold a 13-point advantage at the summit of Italy’s top flight over their nearest rivals but will want to lay down a marker of their strength before tackling Udinese on Friday and then Atletico Madrid a week on Tuesday in the Champions League as they attempt to turn around a 2-0 first-leg deficit.
Napoli, meanwhile, have a pair of Europa League matches against Red Bull Salzburg looming but are aiming to stop Italy’s top flight becoming a complete procession.
| Game | Napoli vs Juventus |
| Date | Sunday, March 3 |
| Time | 7:30pm GMT / 2:30pm ET |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game will be broadcast on Rai Italia America and is available for streaming on the ESPN+ channel.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Rai Italia America | ESPN+ |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be broadcast on Premier Sports 1 and can be streamed via Premier Player.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Premier Sports 1 | Premier Player |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Napoli players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Meret, Ospina, Karnezis |
| Defenders | Koulibaly, Maksimovic, Chiriches, Luperto, Ghoulam, Rui, Hysaj, Malcuit |
| Midfielders | Diawara, Allan, Ruiz, Zielinski |
| Forwards | Insigne, Verdi, Callejon, Ounas, Milik, Mertens |
Raul Albiol and Amin Younes are the only players to miss out for Napoli due to injury.
Lorenzo Insigne will be back in the starting XI after suspension.
Possible Napoli starting XI: Meret; Malcuit, Maksimovic, Koulibaly, Ghoulam; Callejon, Allan, Ruiz, Zielinski; Insigne, Milik
| Position | Juventus players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Szczesny, Perin, Pinsoglio |
| Defenders | Chiellini, Cancelo, Rugani, Caceres, Spinazzola, Barzagli, De Sciglio, Bonucci |
| Midfielders | Bernadeschi, Khedira, Pjanic, Matuidi, Can, Bentancur |
| Forwards | Mandzukic, Ronaldo, Costa, Dybala, Kean |
Juventus are still without long-term absentee Juan Cuadrado and midfielder Sami Khedira, who has had heart problems lately.
Cristiano Ronaldo has had an ankle problem but is expected to start, while this match is expected to come too soon for Douglas Costa.
Emre Can is available after a ban.
Possible Juventus starting XI: Szczesny; Cancelo, Bonucci, Chiellini, Alex Sandro; Can, Pjanic, Matuidi; Dybala, Mandzukic, Ronaldo
Betting & Match Odds
Juventus are priced at 11/5 to with this match with bet365bet365. Napoli are a little longer at 13/10 while a draw can be backed at 11/5.
Match Preview
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Juventus may be runaway Serie A leaders but life is not proving easy for head coach Massimiliano Allegri, who is expected to deliver success on both a domestic and European front.
While another Serie A title is surely inevitable given their healthy advantage at the summit of the table, next Tuesday’s Champions League last-16 second leg against Atletico Madrid looks to be a thorny affair, with the Bianconeri trailing by two and no away goal as insurance.
The addition of Cristiano Ronaldo last summer merely heightened expectations around Turin that this side was one that would qualify for the latter stages of the European Cup and an early exit from that competition will leave the coach sweating.
Juve, meanwhile, continue their relentless domestic march, which has seen them drop a mere six points over the course of 25 unbeaten matches in which they have conceded only 15 goals.
Genuine excitement, though, has been at a premium and it is that fans wish to see as the Old Lady tries to throw down a marker in Napoli.
With rumours circulating that Zinedine Zidane could be set for a sensational summer return, there is little wonder the coach is feeling the heat.
Napoli, meanwhile, are another club enduring a comparatively disappointing campaign, despite a healthy league position.
They were knocked out of the Champions League group stage by Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain, while their hopes of a genuine title challenge have long since died.
The best they can hope to achieve before the end of the campaign is a semblance of respectability, plus a strong showing in the Europa League, where they have two tough ties against Red Bull Salzburg on the horizon.
Outspoken president Aurelio De Laurentiis, meanwhile, has done his best to charge this game up by hinting that Juventus are still favourably treated by the authorities.
“Many people suspect something is going on with the way the league is run, not just me,” he told Corriere dello Sport.
“I want to make one thing clear, though: VAR was introduced to avoid refereeing errors. If it is not used conscientiously, then it’s inevitable people will think badly. And I had many doubts last season… It is still an open wound.”
Despite pledging that “sooner or later, we will win the Scudetto”, that dream will have to wait for another year, regardless of the outcome of Sunday’s second-against-first clash.
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