Stadio Ennio Tardini sets the stage for an exciting Serie A showdown between bottom-half Parma and top-four hopefuls Juventus. Despite being engaged in battles on opposite sides of the table, both teams will be out to claim vital points.
Parma are sitting too close to the bottom three to allow themselves to think they’re safe, with only six points separating them from 18th-placed Fiorentina. After a pair of scoreless draws against Napoli and Genoa, Carlos Cuesta’s men were battered in Bergamo last weekend, as Atalanta thrashed them 4-0, condemning them to a third consecutive scoreless game in Serie A.
Staring down the barrel of a four-game scoreless run in the top flight for the first time since 2013, Parma return to Tardini, where they’ve won just two league matches all season (D4, L5). However, after a narrow 1-0 triumph in this corresponding fixture last term, the Crusaders could register back-to-back home wins over Juventus in Serie A for the first time since 1993.
Avoiding that unwanted feat will be imperative for the Bianconeri, who shared the spoils with Monaco in a dull 0-0 draw in midweek UEFA Champions League action. Despite relinquishing their three-match winning European streak, Luciano Spalletti’s men have secured a playoff berth, which will put an additional squeeze on their fixture schedule.
With that in mind, dropping points against bottom-half teams is no longer an option for Juventus if they’re to bolster their top-four chances. The record-time Italian champions currently trail fourth-placed Roma by a single point, with the Giallorossi facing Udinese on the road tomorrow.
Match Preview
Parma
As mentioned above, scoring has recently been Parma’s main concern. The hosts have failed to get on the scoresheet in four of their last five league outings, except for a 2-1 win at fellow bottom-half rivals Lecce in early January (W1, D2, L2). However, that’s not the only ominous sign for the home team.
Parma have dropped points in all 16 Serie A clashes against sides starting the round above them in the standings (D8, L8). Furthermore, they’ve lost six of their last nine meetings with Juventus (W1, D2), including a 2-0 defeat in August’s reverse fixture. Keen to enact revenge, they’ll be seeking a fast start here.
Interestingly, six of the last seven matches between Parma and Juventus at Tardini saw one side fail to find the net. The Crusaders look the more likely to come up empty-handed again, having failed to score in a league-high 12 Serie A games this season.
Juventus
Juventus drew a rare blank under Spalletti on Wednesday, but they kept a third consecutive clean sheet in all competitions in that draw against Monaco (W2, D1). That run includes a remarkable 3-0 rout of reigning champions Napoli last weekend. As a result, they should feel confident about pouring more misery on Parma.
There’s plenty of reason for optimism, not least because only pacesetters Inter have picked up more points than Juventus’ 22 in the last ten Serie A rounds (W7, D1, L2). However, Juventus cannot take anything for granted, knowing that each of their four league defeats this season came away from home.
A halftime lead could potentially set Juventus up for success here, given that only Roma have conceded fewer second-half goals than them (8) this season. That’s not out of the realm of possibility, yet it’s worth noting that Spalletti’s men have only scored four first-half league goals on the road this season.
Team News
Parma will be without first-team regulars Zion Suzuki and Lautaro Valenti, while Patrick Cutrone remains on the fringes, waiting to leave the club. Meanwhile, newcomers Hans Nicolussi Caviglia and Franco Carboni should start on the bench, having just joined on loan from Venezia and Inter, respectively.
As for Juventus, except for long-term absentees Arkadiusz Milik, Dusan Vlahovic, and Daniele Rugani, Spalletti will have the rest of his squad fit for this clash. Talismanic forward Kenan Yildiz is likely to return to the starting lineup after being rested against Monaco, with Jonathan David expected to lead the line.
Parma vs Juventus Potential Starting Lineups
Parma (3-5-1-1): Corvi; Delprato, Circati, Troilo; Britschgi, Bernabe, Keita, Sorensen, Valenti; Ondrejka; Pellegrino.
Juventus (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Thuram; Conceicao, McKennie, Yildiz; David.
Parma vs Juventus Prediction
Parma’s recent form puts Juventus in the driver’s seat to claim an all-important three points, and we expect the visitors to seize this opportunity and maintain their momentum in Serie A.
Prediction: Juventus to Win
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