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Juventus will line up against S.P.A.L. on Saturday afternoon at the Allianz Stadium with the summit of the Serie A table on their minds. They have a window of opportunity to leapfrog Antonio Conte's Inter Milan, albeit temporarily, as Il Nerazzurri play a few hours later.
Maurizio Sarri's men have overcome a torrid draw against Fiorentina, which saw them lose ground on Inter, by winning back to back against Hellas Verona and Brescia. Those were games they exhibited resilience, as they came from behind to claim all three points.
S.P.A.L., on the other hand, are floundering in 19th spot at the moment, more than a few paces short of the 13th place they finished last season. They have started very badly this season, with an impressive win in game week 3 over Lazio the only respite they've had. However, the heavy losses they suffered subsequently to the likes of Sassuolo and Lecce has done them no favours.
S.P.A.L. have struggled to find goals this term, with a paltry 5 finishes being their return so far. In stark contrast, the Bianconeri are a very potent threat going forward, with defenders and midfielders such as Giorgio Chiellini and Miralem Pjanic getting in on the action alongside usual suspects like Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain.
These sides have met 4 times previously, and S.P.A.L. has won once, with the Turin giants coming out tops on 2 occasions.
Team news
The Bianconeri are a side severely ravaged by injuries to key players at the moment, however, their amazing depth has enabled them to get by with the important absences somewhat unnoticed.
Giorgio Chiellini continues to be on the sidelines with a grievous injury, Cristiano Ronaldo is a doubt for this one, and the likes of Marko Pjaca and Douglas Costa are also in the overcrowded Juventus treatment room.
Alex Sandro is also not available for selection after his return to Brazil on compassionate leave.
Giorgio Chiellini: Out injured
Mattia Perin: Out injured
Danilo: Out injured
Douglas Costa: Out injured
Marko Pjaca: Out injured
Mattia De Sciglio: Out injured
Alex Sandro: Unavailable for selection
Cristiano Ronaldo: Doubtful
Predicted XI for Juventus
Juventus (4-3-3): Wojciech Szczesny, Juan Cuadrado, Leonardo Bonucci, Matthijs De Ligt, Merih Demiral, Miralem Pjanic, Blaise Matuidi, Sami Khedira, Paulo Dybala, Gonzalo Higuain, Federico Bernardeschi
