Match-day five presents us with our first mid-week fixtures of the new season in Serie A when Juventus take on minnows Frosinone.
After gaining promotion from Serie B, Frosinone have been rocked back to reality and find themselves on zero points after four fixtures. The Serie A side has only found the back of the net once so far and has conceded seven goals in the process. Juventus, on the other hand, started the season in similar fashion but appear to have set their season on the right track with wins against Manchester City in the Champions League and Genoa on the weekend. The bianconeri will look to continue their run of form against one of the league’s smallest sides in hopes of continuing their rise up the table. When considering all factors, you would fully expect the Italian champions to do just that on Wednesday.
When Frosinone came up last season from Serie B in what came as a surprise to many, many pegged them as surefire relegation candidates. After four weeks of action, they have proven them right. Despite flashes of brilliance here and there, Stellone’s side are just unable to compete throughout the ninety minutes and look out of their depth in Serie A. However, in the past smaller Serie A sides have gotten a reputation for being particularly hard to break down, especially when they bunker themselves in defense. This clash also pits Juventus against their young keeper Nicola Leali who will be looking to prove himself to his employers. In the past, the keeper has impressed when coming up against Juventus.
Probable formations:
Juventus (4-3-1-2): Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Barzagli, Alex Sandro; Lemina, Hernanes, Pogba; Pereyra; Zaza, Dybala.
On Wednesday, Juventus will have to make do without the services of both Mario Mandzukic and Alvaro Morata in attack after the duo went down in their win against Genoa. The Croatian is expected to miss twenty days of action while the former Real Madrid should return very soon. In midfield, Sturaro will get some rest while Hernanes will come into his place as the side’s regista. As a result, Mario Lemina, who made his Juventus debut on the weekend, will be shifted on the outside of the midfield three. In defense, Bonucci returns to the fold and will likely come in for Chiellini while Alex Sandro comes in for Patrice Evra at left back. Given the bianconeri’s upcoming clash against Napoli, the squad turnover should come as no surprise.
Frosinone (4-4-2): Leali; Rosi, Russo, Diakite, Pavlovic; Paganini, Gori, Chisbah, Frara; Tonez, Ciofani.
For Frosinone, Leali will maintain his place between the posts after stringing together a few impressive performances. Both Rosi and Diakite are expected to start at the back for the Serie A side at right back and center back respectively. The duo have been bright spots on an otherwise poor start to the season so far. In midfield, Stellone will go with a midfield four that will consist of Gori and Chisbah at the heart of it. In recent games, Chisbah has provided an extra spark from the middle of the park. In attack, on the other hand, both Tonez and Ciofani are predicted to start while Roma loanee Daniele Verde will be on the bench.
Player to watch – Paulo Dybala
With Mario Mandzukic and Alvaro Morata picking up knocks, the onus to create something in the final third will fall on the shoulders of Dybala. The former Palermo man has already scored three goals in his short Juventus career and will look to add to that tally against the newly promoted side. In addition to his goal threat, Frosinone will also be wary of his ability to set up his teammates. The Argentine’s vision and impressive dribbling make him a nightmare to defend against especially when he’s not the only player you have to worry about. On Wednesday, he will be playing alongside Simone Zaza, a player who is eager to make his mark at his new club. As a result of this, Frosinone will likely have their hands full with the Juventus strike force. If Stellone’s side concede the forward an inch of space, Dybala will undoubtedly make them pay. The worst part in all this is that Paul Pogba’s name hasn’t even been mentioned yet.
Notable comments –
Pereyra: “We all know the season has just started and we will give everything as a team to climb up the table. Even if you don’t start a game, you have to be ready when called upon.”
Pogba: “We have to continue this run of form. It wasn’t easy to claim all three points against Genoa but we did it. Against Frosinone, we have to win in order to make up for lost ground and return to first place.”
Chiellini: “We’ll take each game as it comes and approach Frosinone with the same calmness that we demonstrated in Genoa. After this week we have plenty of belief going forward for the rest of the campaign.”
Writer’s prediction: Juventus v Frosinone (3-0)
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