No Vlahovic, But Yildiz's Firepower Faces Davis Duel: Juventus Eye Udine Upset in Top-Four Scrap
Juventus head to Udinese without injured star Dusan Vlahovic, relying on Kenan Yildiz to fire them towards the top four in Serie A. Keinan Davis, joint-second top scorer, leads the hosts' attack alongside Nicolo Zaniolo. Key Bianconeri like Andrea Cambiaso and Manuel Locatelli are under scrutiny ahead of Gennaro Gattuso's Italy World Cup play-off squad announcement.
Juventus Trek to Udine: Top-Four Hunt Heats Up Without Their Serbian Sniper
Imagine Juventus rocking up to the Bluenergy Stadium like a bunch of lads late for last orders, minus their main pint-puller Dusan Vlahovic. The big Serb's adductor injury – that's four months on the naughty step – looked like it might loosen its grip this week, but nope. Luciano Spalletti's confirmed he's not risking it, leaving the Bianconeri light up front for Saturday's Serie A showdown with Udinese.
The Old Lady's form has perked up after a grim February wobble. They've clawed back a 3-3 thriller at Roma and smashed Pisa 4-0 lately, sitting pretty in sixth on 50 points – just one behind fourth. Lose this, though, and that Champions League dream could turn into a hangover.
Friulani on the Rise: Davis the Danger Man
Udinese, mid-table comfy in 11th, aren't exactly rolling over. They've gone unbeaten in March so far: a 3-0 spanking of Fiorentina and a gritty 2-2 at Atalanta. Boss Kosta Runjaić will fancy his chances at home.
Up top, Keinan Davis is the talk of the town. The ex-Prem striker's bagged nine goals in Serie A, joint-second behind only Inter's Lautaro Martinez. He's level with a starry crew: Kenan Yildiz, Rafael Leao, Nico Paz, Rasmus Hojlund, and Anastasios Douvikas. Expect him to link with Nicolo Zaniolo in a 3-5-2, causing Juventus headaches. As Peter Young noted at Football Italia, Davis is the friars' fox in the henhouse.
Predicted Udinese XI (3-5-2): Okoye; Kristensen, Kabasele, Mlacic; Ezihibue, Piotrowski, Karlstrom, Atta, Kamara; Davis, Zaniolo.
Spalletti's Squad Shuffle and Italy Intrigue
For Juventus, Mattia Perin should hold the gloves, with Michele Di Gregorio still persona non grata after a dodgy campaign. Spalletti – ex-Italy gaffer, no less – rolls a 4-2-3-1: Perin; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Thuram; Conceicao, Weston McKennie, Boga; Yildiz.
Yildiz, with his own nine goals, steps up as the spearhead. The Turkish teen's been electric, but can he outduel Davis? Midfield anchors Manuel Locatelli and wing-back Andrea Cambiaso could shine too – especially with Gennaro Gattuso's Italy squad announcement looming.
Ah, the Azzurri angle, courtesy of Susy Campanale at Football Italia. Gattuso names his World Cup play-off crew next week for scraps against Northern Ireland (semi) and maybe Wales or Bosnia. Juventus lads like Cambiaso (versatile full-back), Locatelli (midfield rock), and maybe Fabio Miretti or Federico Gatti are in the shop window. Perin and Di Gregorio? Dream on, lads – Alessandro Bastoni and co. have the locks sewn up.
Cambiaso's scored recently and thrives under pressure, but faces Federico Dimarco rivalry. Locatelli's a shoe-in at the base with Nicolo Barella. Perform here, and they're on the plane; flop, and it's Spalletti's headache alone.
Kick-off's at 19:45 GMT. UK punters, tune into TNT Sports 2 or DAZN; Yanks, Paramount+. Sam Wilson from Football Italia tips a cagey affair – Juventus need points, but Udine's no pushover.
Will Yildiz's magic trump Davis's muscle? Or do the hosts nick a shock? Grab your scarf, it's set to be a belter. As OneFootball's coverage highlights, this one's got goals, grudge, and Gattuso's gaze written all over it.