Ace Football previews the Serie A match between Spezia and Juventus, and offers the latest betting tips, odds, line-ups, and team news.
Juventus pay a visit to Serie A newcomers Spezia at the Orogel Stadium on Sunday afternoon, seeking a return to winning ways after back-to-back draws.
Both teams, in fact, have drawn their last two league games heading into the fixture in Cesena. While only four points separate them in the standings after five games, with Juventus up in sixth and Spezia 15th.
The hosts have enjoyed a decent start to their first-ever Serie A campaign, but can they resist the might of Juventus and especially their returning star man Cristiano Ronaldo?
Spezia Form & Stats
Vincenzo Italiano’s side, as mentioned previously, have done a solid job in their first-ever Serie A campaign. In fact, they’ve exceeded expectations by sitting out of the relegation zone on five points from five games.
Spezia proved their resolve by overcoming a humble 4-1 opening day defeat to Sassuolo at home to beat Udinese 2-0 on the road in their second game. And while they were no match for AC Milan at the San Siro, two impressive draws have followed.
Last weekend’s 2-2 draw away to Parma, however, would’ve left a bitter taste in their mouths after an injury-time Juraj Kucka penalty denied them victory. Now Spezia face arguably their biggest test yet.
Seeing off Serie B side Cittadella 3-0 in a midweek Coppa Italia served as a decent warm-up, but Italiano will be wary of his side’s defensive record as they’ve conceded an average of more than two goals-per-game so far.
Key Team Stats
- Unbeaten in their last three games in all competitions (W1 D2).
- Over 2.5 goals in their last three league games.
- Conceded an average of over 2.5 goals in their five league games this season.
Juventus Form & Stats
Last weekend’s 1-1 home draw against Hellas Verona condemned Juventus to their worst start in a Serie A campaign in a decade to pile even more pressure on Andrea Pirlo.
The new Bianconeri boss has overseen a sluggish start to his managerial career by dropping precious points against AS Roma, bottom-placed side Crotone, and Verona. Barcelona, meanwhile, inflicted him with his first defeat upon winning their midweek Champions League clash 2-0 in Turin.
Ronaldo testing positive for COVID-19 made things even more difficult for Pirlo. Without their star player, Juve have won just one of their last four games in all competitions and scored more than once on one occasion.
To be fair, Alvaro Morata has occasionally stepped up in Cristiano’s absence and VAR ruthlessly denied the Spaniard a potential hat-trick against Barcelona. Otherwise, though, the attack has lacked any fluidity and confidence.
Although Pirlo has implied that Ronaldo won’t make the starting line-up for his return to action despite naming him in his 20-man squad.
Key Team Stats
- Winless in their last six away league games (D3 L3).
- BTTS in 13 of their last 15 away league games.
- Lost just once in 43 league games against the newly-promoted clubs.
- Alvaro Morata has scored three goals in his last four games in all competitions.
Team News
Spezia: Jeroen Zoet, Federico Mattiello, Andrej Galabinov, Jacopo Sala, & Martin Erlic (all out).
Juventus: Matthijs de Ligt & Alex Sandro (both out).
Predicted Line-ups
(Note: The image will change to the official XI once they’re both announced)
Top goalscorers in the Serie A
Head-To-Head Analysis
Spezia and Juventus have never faced each other before in the Italian top-flight. They’ve only met twice previously in the Serie B in 2006/07, with the home team drawing one and winning the other.
Below are some head-to-head stats between the two teams based on their form, Over/Under stats, and which of them have scored first in their recent Serie A games.
Match Facts
Betting Tips
Other Betting Odds
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