Socrates

UDINESE - JUVENTUS - MATCHDAY 20 Sunday, January 17th, 2016 - 3:00 PM Friuli Stadium, Udine Referee: Gianluca Rocchi Udinese - Juventus Preview: Di Natale eyes gift to mark champions showdown The home side will officially open their new stadium against Massimiliano Allegri's side as they look to halt the champions' nine-match winning run in Serie A. http://www.goal.com/en/match/udinese-vs-juventus/2120571/preview Jan 16, 2016 Antonio Di Natale wants to mark the full opening of Udinese's new stadium with another victory over Serie A champions Juventus on Sunday. Cyril Thereau struck the only goal of the game as Udinese shocked Massimiliano Allegri's side in Turin back in August, beating Juve for the first time since 2011 and scoring their first league goal in five games against the Old Lady. The revamped Friuli has been declared a sell-out for Juve's visit in what will be the first match for which all the refurbished areas of the ground will be open to the fans. And Di Natale - who could be making his final appearance against Juve - is determined to mark the occasion in style. "I'm sure that it will be a great match in a great stadium. We want to play a great match for our fans and especially for our president," he said to the club's TV channel this week. "They are a really strong team, they are familiar with winning. It will be tough, especially for us, of course, but I'm convinced that they will struggle really hard to get a good result against us. "It's hard to find weakness in their team, they are full of champions and experience. They are a fierce team, but if we do what we have to, we will make them struggle." Juve's defeat in August began a run of just one win in six Serie A matches, but Allegri's side have hauled themselves firmly back into the title race thanks to nine victories in a row. Allegri expects another stern test when they travel to Udine, however, especially given the spectacle of playing in front of a capacity crowd at the new ground. "Udinese will pose a difficult test for us in what is a big week for them. Although they lost to Carpi last time out they are in decent form and will want to celebrate the full opening of their new stadium in style," he said. "It'll be an important occasion for us too as we want to start the second half of the season in the best possible fashion and keep our objective alive of making Juventus history this year." Juve have some concerns over the fitness of Alvaro Morata, who was forced to train separately this week due to illness, while both Andrea Barzagli and Mario Lemina are struggling with muscle injuries. Alexander Merkel (knee) will miss the game for Udinese, while Giovanni Pasquale is a doubt with a similar issue. Udinese have kept a clean sheet against Juve in their last two matches, but history remains firmly on the visitors' side. Prior to last year, they lost six times in a row to the champions, scoring just twice. Key Opta Stats - Udinese have gained 10 points in their last five home Serie A games: they gained only one in the previous four. - Juventus have completed the most dribbles this season (262) and have conceded the fewest shots (167). - Juventus have conceded the fewest goals from inside the box in this Serie A (nine). - Gianluigi Buffon could win his 250th Serie A game with Juventus. - Paul Pogba has had a hand in three of the last six Juventus league goals (two goals, one assists), while he had a hand only in four of the previous 27. OPTA FACTS Udinese won their last game against Juventus (1-0): in the previous eight Udinese have gained only two points. Before this game, Udinese had failed to score in the previous five league games against Juventus. Udinese have gained 10 points in their last five home Serie A games: they gained onlyone in the previos four. Juventus gained only 12 points in the first 10 Serie A games this season, picking up a maximum of 27 in the last nine. Juventus have completed the most dribbles this season (262) and have conceded the less shots (167). Juventus have conceded the fewest goals from inside the box in this Serie A (nine). Udinese, with Lazio, are one of the two teams yet to see a defender score this campaign. Gianluigi Buffon could win his 250th Serie A game with Juventus. LAST FIVE MATCHES Udinese L W W L L 1/9/16 - Carpi 2 - 1 Udinese 1/6/16 - Udinese 2 - 1 Atalanta 12/20/15 - Torino 0 - 1 Udinese 12/17/15 - Lazio 2 - 1 Udinese 12/12/15 - Udinese 0 - 4 Internazionale Juventus W W W W W 1/10/16 - Sampdoria 1 - 2 Juventus 1/6/16 - Juventus 3 - 0 Hellas Verona 12/20/15 - Carpi 2 - 3 Juventus 12/16/15 - Juventus 4 - 0 Torino 12/13/15 - Juventus 3 - 1 Fiorentina HEAD TO HEAD 8/23/15 - Juventus 0 - 1 Udinese 2/1/15 - Udinese 0 - 0 Juventus 9/13/14 - Juventus 2 - 0 Udinese 4/14/14 - Udinese 0 - 2 Juventus 12/1/13 - Juventus 1 - 0 Udinese http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

RUMOURS: Pogba's private message to Messi at the Ballon d'Or awards The Juventus midfielder does not want to return to the Premier League, or join Paris Saint-Germain, and remains keen on a move to Barcelona. http://www.goal.com/en/news/11/transfer-zone/2016/01/16/19408972/-? Jan 16, 2016 Paul Pogba has reportedly told Lionel Messi that he wants to play alongside him at Barcelona. The duo met at Monday’s Ballon d’Or awards where the Barcelona star picked up the main award for the fifth time in his career. Pogba has been constantly linked with a move to the Spanish champions, and according to Mundo Deportivo, the France international told Messi at the awards ceremony: ”I love to play with you at the club". The report also claims that Pogba was impressed by Barcelona’s display against Juventus in last season’s Champions League final, and he has no interest in either returning to the Premier League or playing for Paris Saint-Germain. Having blocked Pogba from leaving the Italian champions last summer, Barcelona are believed to have the transfer under control thanks to the excellent relationship between Ariedo Braida, Barcelona’s international sporting director, and Beppe Marotta, Juventus’ director general.

UDINESE - JUVENTUS - MATCHDAY 20 Sunday, January 17th, 2016 - 3:00 PM Friuli Stadium, Udine Referee: Gianluca Rocchi Allegri: Napoli Are Scudetto Favourites Despite Juventus Resurgence http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2016/01/allegri-napoli-are-scudetto-favourites-despite-juventus-resurgence/? Jan 16, 2016 Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has targeted a tenth straight league victory when the Bianconeri face Udinese at the Stadio Friuli in Serie A on Sunday afternoon. The 48-year-old coach also believes as many as five teams can maintain a serious title challenge this season, but has brandished Maurizio Sarri’s squad as the favourites. “We are enjoying a good period at the moment and seem to have gotten back into the mini-league,” Allegri told reporters at his pre-match press conference on Saturday afternoon. “As I have said before, this league will not be decided until the last game. “At the moment, I think Napoli are the favourites but none of the teams who are currently in the top five places should be excluded from the fight. It is that close this season. “This is all part of the game though, picking which team are the favourites. Tomorrow will be another big game for the league and we have a difficult match against a strong team who are in good form.” Despite a stuttering start to their campaign, the Bianconeri boss revealed he never gave up hope of a fifth straight Scudetto success. “I absolutely never believed we couldn’t win it,” he added. “In football, as in life, you are going to go through moments of difficulty. We have gotten ourselves back on track thanks to these guys. “But it isn’t enough as there is still a long way to go. Each game we will go out and give our best from now until the end.” http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

UDINESE - JUVENTUS - MATCHDAY 20 Sunday, January 17th, 2016 - 3:00 PM Friuli Stadium, Udine Referee: Gianluca Rocchi Udinese V Juventus – Preview: The Old Lady Looking For The Perfect Ten http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2016/01/udinese-v-juventus-preview-the-old-lady-looking-for-the-perfect-ten/? Jan 16, 2016 Reigning Serie A champions Juventus travel to face Udinese at the Stadio Friuli on Sunday afternoon, as the Old Lady look for their tenth win in a row in the league in their charge back up the table following a slow start to the season. The Turin side defeated Sampdoria 2-1 at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris last Sunday to continue their fantastic form in Serie A, a run that puts the Bianconeri right back in the hunt for the Scudetto with half the campaign still to go. Following the victory in Genoa, Massimiliano Allegri’s side sit second in the league standings, level on 39 points with Inter after round 19, and just two points behind leaders Napoli at the summit. Juventus have won six of their last eight away fixtures, with their last defeat coming in the form of a 1-0 loss to Sassuolo at back at the end of October. Since that defeat at the Mapei Stadium, the Turin giants have defeated Empoli, Palermo, Lazio, Carpi and Sampdoria on the road, scoring 13 goals and conceding just four times in the process. The Zebrette began 2016 with a 2-1 victory over Atalanta at the Stadio Friuli, with that victory quickly being followed by a 2-1 loss away to Carpi last weekend, a mini run that just about sums up the frustrating campaign to date for Stefano Colantuono’s side. Meanwhile, the Stadio Friuli outfit currently lie in 12th position in the table on 24 points after round 19. Colantuono’s charges have only managed three wins in their nine games in Udine this season and have already suffered four defeats, but only one in the last five, a 4-0 reverse against Inter. It took the Zebrette until the end of October to pick up their first three points at home, defeating Frosinone 1-0, but since then they have defeated Sampdoria and Atalanta, while also picking up a 0-0 draw against Sassuolo. Udinese recorded a famous 1-0 win over Juve at the Juventus Stadium on the opening day of this season, and also managed a 0-0 draw at the Stadio Friuli back in February. In the past ten seasons though the Old Lady have won six of ten fixtures in Udine, with the home side last registering a victory back in April 2010, in a 3-0 win. In team news, Udinese defender Maurizio Domizzi and midfielder Giovanni Pasquale remain doubts for the home side, while six goal top-scorer Cyril Thereau is expected to be partnered up front by the fit-again Duvan Zapata. Juventus defender Andrea Barzagli faces a late fitness test, while midfielder Mario Lemina is also a doubt for Allegri’s side. Top-scorer Paulo Dybala will be looking to add to his nine goals already scored in Serie A this season. Form Guide: Udinese (L-L-W-W-L) Juventus (W-W-W-W-W) Expected starting XI’s Udinese: Karnezis; Wague, Danilo, Felipe; Widmer, Badu, Lodi, Iturra, Edenilson; Thereau, Zapata. Juventus: Buffon; Rugani, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Khedira, Marchisio, Pogba, Evra; Mandzukic, Dybala. http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

UDINESE - JUVENTUS - MATCHDAY 20 Sunday, January 17th, 2016 - 3:00 PM Friuli Stadium, Udine Referee: Gianluca Rocchi Allegri: 'Udinese a new season' http://www.football-italia.net/78453/allegri-udinese-new-season? Jan 16, 2016 Max Allegri hopes Juventus kick off “another half-season” in the right way with Udinese, having lost the opener. It kicks off on Sunday at 15.00 CET - 14.00 GMT. “Unfortunately I remember the first game we played this season and it was followed by other difficult moments,” said the Coach in his Press conference. The Bianconeri had one point after three rounds, having lost the opener 1-0 at home to Udinese. “After Empoli the team started to put together a run of nine straight wins. We also improved physically and are now in good shape. We have another half-season to go. As I’ve already said this title race will be decided on the last day. “Right now Napoli are the Scudetto favourites, but none of the top five can be ruled out. It’s part of the game, tipping the opposition to be favourites and Maurizio Sarri did it with us. “I was never the only one who still believed in the Scudetto. In football as in life, there are difficult moments, but we got back on track thanks to the lads. That is not enough, there are many more games to go and I’ll field my best formation in every match. “We have a difficult game tomorrow against an Udinese side in good form, while it will also be a special day for them inaugurating the new stadium.” Alvaro Morata’s confidence crisis drags on and Allegri confirmed he will be benched with the return of Mario Mandzukic. “Morata will do well and get back to scoring, as he has proved many times he’s a great player. Mandzukic has recovered and will play. Simone Zaza has become an important player for this team. “Either Daniele Rugani or Martin Caceres will start in defence. It’s likely they will alternate, so whoever doesn’t start tomorrow will play against Lazio. “Juventus have improved a great deal in terms of attitude and our objective is to challenge the best in Europe.” Juventus squad for Udinese: Buffon, Chiellini, Caceres, Khedira, Zaza, Marchisio, Morata, Pogba, Hernanes, Alex Sandro, Cuadrado, Mandzukic, Bonucci, Padoin, Dybala, Asamoah, Rugani, Neto, Lichtsteiner, Sturaro, Evra, Audero http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

UDINESE - JUVENTUS - MATCHDAY 20 Sunday, January 17th, 2016 - 3:00 PM Friuli Stadium, Udine Referee: Gianluca Rocchi Colantuono: 'Juve is Di Natale's game' http://www.football-italia.net/78447/colantuono-juve-di-natales-game? Jan 16, 2016 Stefano Colantuono confirmed Antonio Di Natale will start for Udinese against Juventus. “This is his game.” It kicks off on Sunday at 15.00 CET - 14.00 GMT. “We must try to stop Juventus playing, as they have great quality and are in the best form of anyone in Serie A right now. The way to do that is be aggressive and attack them,” said the Coach in his Press conference. “The difference between Juve and the other clubs is their mentality. They face the top team and the bottom in the same way. They’ve always been like that, the environment around the team helps them find motivation even in the less important matches. “Di Natale will play against Juve. This is his game, the kind of appointment that brings the best out of a champion. It is also a form of recognition towards Totò, considering tomorrow is the inauguration of the new stadium. This has to be his day. “He is in good shape, the opposition further motivates him and I am convinced this’ll be his game.” Udinese beat Juventus 1-0 in the opening round of the season, a huge shock, but can they do it now when the Bianconeri are on a run of nine consecutive victories? “If we play our game at the maximum then we have a chance. We have to play, as if we sit back and defend then we’ll be crushed. “Alvaro Morata is one of the best young forwards for the future, while Mario Mandzukic is an excellent centre-forward. Let’s not forget players like Simone Zaza and Paulo Dybala. “However, we are not afraid of Juve and I don’t need to fire up the team in the papers by bragging. I don’t believe in sending messages via the media.” This will be the first game since the Nuovo Stadio Friuli was completed and it is sold out. “Our fans will make themselves heard. I am convinced tomorrow we’ll cancel out the memory of our performance against Carpi last week. There will be lots of Juve fans, but we’re all black and white and I’m sure ours will be louder.” http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

UDINESE - JUVENTUS - MATCHDAY 20 Sunday, January 17th, 2016 - 3:00 PM Friuli Stadium, Udine Referee: Gianluca Rocchi Udinese vs. Juventus: Team News, Predicted Lineups http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2606780-udinese-vs-juventus-team-news-predicted-lineups-live-stream-tv-info? Jan 16, 2016 Victories over Hellas Verona and Sampdoria meant that Juventus began the new year the way they ended 2015, piling up the wins to maintain their bid for a fifth consecutive Serie A title. The Turin giants have now triumphed in each of their last nine league outings, and coach Massimiliano Allgeri’s side will face Udinese brimming with confidence. Going into the next round of fixtures, the Bianconeri have shrugged off their poor early form, starting the weekend just two points behind leaders Napoli. The same cannot be said for their opponents, however, the Stadio Friuli-based side losing all but two of their last six outings and looking devoid of ideas. "Serie A is a bad customer," Udinese boss Stefano Colantuono lamented at a recent press conference, per Football Italia, and he will hope his players can quickly improve to prevent them falling any further down the table. That is likely to prove difficult against a resurgent Juventus, with captain Gigi Buffon still not satisfied with his team’s progress and demanding more from them in a recent interview with Mediaset Premium. "Today we’re second, but if we look back on past seasons, that’s not the position we’ve been fighting for, so we need to improve," the goalkeeper said, per his club’s official website. "We’ve strung together a series of wins that we need to ensure lasts a bit longer." OptaPaolo ✔ @OptaPaolo 5 - Udinese's last 5 Serie A goals have been scored by Cyril Théréau (3) or Stipe Perica (2). Synergy. Their form has much improved, and now they face a team who beat them earlier in the campaign, Cyril Thereau’s second-half goal enough to earn Udinese a win at Juventus Stadium. Discussing the start his side made to 2015/16—taking just one point from their opening three games—Allegri was extremely candid when asked which of those matches he’d like to replay. "The first one with Udinese," the Juve boss told Sky Italia (h/t Football Italia), "because we were too frenetic and played well for 77 minutes, then conceded the decisive goal on their only attempt." On Sunday, the reigning Serie A champions will have the chance to make amends, and they will certainly need to take it if they are to keep up the pressure on the teams who have joined them in the title hunt. Probable Formations Udinese: (3-5-2): Orestis Karnezis; Papa Wague, Danilo, Felipe; Silvan Widmer, Emmanuel Badu, Francesco Lodi, Manuel Iturra, Edenilson; Cyril Thereau, Antonio Di Natale Unavailable: Alexander Merkel, Giovanni Pasquale, Maurizio Domizzi (all injured) Juventus (3-5-2): Gigi Buffon; Daniele Rugani, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini; Stephan Lichtsteiner, Sami Khedira, Claudio Marchisio, Paul Pogba, Alex Sandro; Mario Mandzukic, Paulo Dybala Unavailable: Andrea Barzagli, Mario Lemina, Rubinho and Roberto Pereyra (all injured) Player to Watch With some huge matches against the likes of AS Roma, Napoli and Bayern Munich looming on the horizon, Juventus will need their best players to shine if they are to continue their recent good progress. Alvaro Morata certainly falls within that group, the striker essential to the Bianconeri as they enjoyed great success in all competitions last term. The 23-year-old netted crucial goals just when his side needed them but has failed to match that production thus far in the current campaign. Indeed, his poor form was fully on display against Sampdoria last weekend, as discussed in this previous post. His last goal came in early October, but Allegri recently told Mediaset Premium that he is not worried about the former Real Madrid man’s lack of confidence. "Was Morata sad? He has no reason to be sad. The sadder one feels, the less well things go," the Juve boss said (h/t Football Italia). "Let’s not forget Morata scored two decisive goals for Champions League qualification. Every campaign has ups and downs and he is working for the team." Key Battle If Morata is struggling to make an impact for the Turin giants, the same certainly cannot be said of Alex Sandro, the Brazilian wing-back thriving since joining the club from Porto last summer. According to their official website, the Bianconeri paid €26 million for Sandro, who then signed a five-year contract. He has already begun to prove to be worth that high fee with a string of eye-catching performances, with the graphic in the tweet below highlighting his efforts against Hellas Verona. Adam Digby @Adz77 Alex Sandro vs Hellas(7/1/16): 3 tackles, 4 int, 2 clearances, 29/35 passes (82.9%), 2/3 take-ons (via @StatsZone) Weighing in with three assists thus far, he is also defensively diligent and will be a difficult opponent for Udinese to contain when this contest gets underway. The task of stopping Sandro will likely fall to Silvan Widmer, a player believed to have no shortage of admirers after some consistently high-quality displays. The Calcio Mercato website believes the 22-year-old is a transfer target for Juventus and Inter during the current transfer window, but he will need to be wary of the danger posed by Sandro at the Stadio Friuli. Odds (via Odds Shark) Away win: 1-2 Home win: 6-1 Draw: 3-1 http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

UDINESE - JUVENTUS - MATCHDAY 20 Sunday, January 17th, 2016 - 3:00 PM Friuli Stadium, Udine Referee: Gianluca Rocchi UDINESE VS JUVENTUS MATCH PREVIEW http://www.juvefc.com/udinese-vs-juventus-preview-and-scouting/? Jan 16, 2016 Juventus In the last weekend, Juventus defeated Sampdoria and stretched the winning streak to nine games: it is an achievement that should not be underappreciated. In the final minutes of the Sunday games we suffered a little too much and we should have not have conceded after that Alvaro Morata blew a golden opportunity to seal the game, but, as long as the team is playing good enough to win, everything is fine. This is a remarkable display of strength by Juventus, which have now reached Inter in the standings and trail only to Napoli. Nerazzurri and Maurizio Sarri’s side, which is playing splendid football and have the hottest striker in Serie A, are very good teams, but I think that once Juventus will take the lead, it will be extremely difficult to keep up with them. Every win adds a little burden and that is why only élite team can put together long winning streaks. Bianconeri will eventually be picked off by somebody because of a defensive lapse or an unfortunate game where they can not put the game in the net. However, thanks to these victories in a row they have re-joined the title picture (they were never out in my opinion, despite what many pundits were saying) and they are heavy favourites to win the title. Even though the opponents were not great, this is a pretty rough part of the schedule since it is the third away match in four games. Juventus squeaked by against Carpi and Sampdoria and now they face Udinese, an opponent that came away with three points from the Stadium in August: a lucky result since they spent the game sitting back and basically scored at their first attempt, but as we know there were deep issues with the team at the beginning of the season. Alvaro Morata skipped a practice because of the flu but he has returned, however Mario Mandzukic is now available, he was on the bench at Marassi too, so the battle to start alongside Paulo Dybala is wide open. We will see if Massimiliano Allegri will go with the best couple, which right now features the Croatian striker, or if he will try to boost the Spaniard’s confidence by giving him more playing time and a chance to snap out of his slump. Simone Zaza is unlikely to start, but it is funny how, after months of borderline disdain for the guy, on Sunday many fans on Twitter were clamouring for him to be subbed in. Claudio Marchisio will return and anchor the midfield: Hernanes has at least not been hurtful against Sampdoria, but I do not know if the coach will insist with this reclamation project: I do not see the Brazilian being part of long-term plans. Sami Khedira played his best game since coming back from the injury and Paul Pogba is in a stellar moment. Stephen Lichtsteiner and Patrice Evra were the full backs against Sampdoria, which made the lineup pretty defensive: the duo might be confirmed against a team that has its biggest strength on the flanks. There is no indication that Andrea Barzagli is ready to play tise game, so it will once again come down to Daniele Rugani or Martin Caceres. The rumours on the Uruguayan defender leaving have intensified, he has an expiring contract so the management might look to cash in a little on him instead of losing him for nothing. I would not mind a departure: he is a nice player, quite energetic and versatile, but dependability is a big factor for a backup and he is injured most of the time and has had his share of off-field issues. It is rare that selling a centre-back comes back to hunt you, anyway I would not give him to another Italian team. Probable lineup 3-5-2: Buffon; Rugani, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichsteiner, Khedira, Marchisio, Pogba, Evra; Mandzukic, Dybala. Injuries: Barzagli (calf), Pereyra (hamstring), Lemina (knee). Suspended: None. Udinese Udinese are not having a great season but they remain much better than most of the low-table teams so they are destined to have a boring season and finish in the middle of the pack. Gone are the days of the exciting Guidolin-led Udinese’s sides full of brilliant prospects set to make the ownership rich in the following transfer windows: the Pozzo family is focusing on Watford and who can blame them? Anyway, I think this was their goal when they hired the former Atalanta coach: they gambled with Andrea Stramaccioni in the previous season and the choice did not pay off, so they went for somebody who could guarantee the permanence in Serie A without sweating too much but also has not any upside. Their two brightest young players, Duvan Zapata and Stipe Perica, are on loan from Udinese and Chelsea respectively, their latest find Ali Adnan has been buried on the bench by Stefano Colantuono for performance reasons and also Bruno Fernandes and Silvan Widmer have blended in the dullness of the rest of the squad. They use 3-5-2 too: their main threats are Widmer and Edenilson, two wing backs who have great motor. Edenilson missed the last game because he was fatigued but he should be ready for this one, if he is not Ali Adnan would take his spot on the left. Antonio Di Natale stressed during the week that this will probably be his last game against Juventus, the team he once refused to join, so I guess he will start despite being benched more often than not in the last few games. At this point, the question is not whether Totò will retire in 2016 but if he will finish the season. Now that Zapata is back and Perica is scoring, they actually have a decent attack. Among the other options, Cyril Thereau is the most likely to be Di Natale’s sidekick in the attack. Bruno Fernandes has been starting recently as box-to-box midfielder but Manuel Iturra is the favourite to play in the midfield, alongside Emmanuel Badu and Francesco Lodi, to add some muscles. Thomas Heurtaux is still not all the way back from a nagging knee injury: Molla Wague should keep his spot in the starting XI, with Danilo and Felipe. They are not missing any major player. Probable lineup 3-5-2: Karnezis; Wague, Danilo, Felipe; Widmer, Badu, Lodi, Iturra, Edenilson; Thereau, Di Natale. Injuries: Merkel (knee), Pasquale (foot), Domizzi. Suspended: None. Formation http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

On First Looking Into Stephan Lichtsteiner Stephan Lichtsteiner turns 32 on Saturday, with his importance to Juventus as pronounced as at any time during his time with the club. http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2016/01/on-first-looking-into-stephan-lichtsteiner/? Jan 16, 2016 Football, when played well, is a simple game of endemic beauty. The sweep of the ball through the paths of its players can look as if daubed on a canvas, with the best of its moments preserved forever in the minds of their beholders. Juventus, as the season has gone on, have approached that level; their recent good form reflected in their performances just as well as their results. For the rest of Serie A, it is ominous. If one were to list the players that have contributed most to Juventus’ success so far, it is those who apply the final flourishes that stick in the mind. Paulo Dybala, for example, or Paul Pogba. Yet they would be nothing without those who provide the legwork and endeavour to go along with the ingenuity and invention – the heart and lungs of the side. After four seasons with the Bianconeri, and four Scudetti, Stephan Lichtsteiner is certainly one of those – the cloth that polishes the jewels. The Swiss has proved himself pivotal in the Juventus side time and again. Perhaps outside from the flying wide men that create so much space for Barcelona, he has demonstrated himself as one of the most effective wing-backs in the game. He turns 32 on 16th January and still shows no sign of slowing down, looking no less the tyro of energy that joined the club in the summer of 2011 after a three-year spell at Lazio. His willingness and ability to cover a wide expanse each game mark him out as a wing-back rather than a full-back; he is an active part of the Juventus attack, rather than an occasional marauder, but he is an equally zealous (sometimes over-zealous, if one casts one’s mind back to the derby victory against Torino in late 2014) defender. It would be simplistic to suggest that Lichtsteiner’s fitness was behind Massimiliano Allegri’s change back to the more familiar 3-5-2 system as he looked to improve the Bianconeri’s poor early season form, but it is equally true that it allows both the Swiss and his left-sided counterpart Patrice Evra, even more veteran at 34, to flourish. Of course, the former Lille man had an enforced spell on the sidelines during this period, with October being spent on an operation to remedy his atrial flutter and subsequent convalescence. He marked his return with a goal against Borussia Moenchengladbach and since he came back into the side, Juventus have won all eight Serie A games, climbing from 9th to 2nd in the process. It cannot be solely down to Lichtsteiner, but as well as winning games, the switch to three has completely shored up the Juventus backline – from 1.00 goal per game conceded before the Swiss’ return, it has dropped to 0.43 per game since; furthermore, the forward line have jumped from 1.33 before to 2.43 since. Allegri has returned to a successful formula – one that necessitates exactly the things that Lichtsteiner does. His statistics do not necessarily mark him out as one of Serie A’s best defenders – 1.2 tackles per game is not particularly high. Nor do his attacking numbers stake that claim – 0.5 key passes and 0.3 crosses per game do not propel him into the upper echelons of the league. Of course, the better sides do not need to defend as often, as they retain the ball. Moreso, with the creative forces such as Pogba and the still-revelatory Dybala in the middle, crosses into a target man are less required. Lichtsteiner comes to be simply an option; an extra body that contributes to the effect of swarming forward. In short, he might not be the most glamorous player in the Juventus side, but he is one of the most vital. His presence is always felt, and his absence more keenly. As he enters his 33rd year, he shows no signs of easing up, and it is to the huge benefit of his team-mates. Akin to Keats’ Cortez staring at the Pacific, to behold Stephan Lichsteiner is to gaze on something of the unique and wonderful – a hitherto unappreciated beauty. It is to his credit that he is such a vital cog in such an effective machine, but his role in that machine means it is likely he will only be fully appreciated when the time comes to replace him.

Who was Juventus' MVP in the first half of the 2015-16 season? http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/1/16/10747274/juventus-first-half-mvp-2015-16-serie-a-buffon-dybala-pogba-marchisio-chiellini-mandzukic Jan 16, 2016 The andata has officially come to an end. We're 19 rounds down, and have 19 more rounds to go in the 2015-16 Serie A season. There will hopefully be more than just two Champions League games sprinkled in throughout the next five months, hopefully more than just a nine-game Serie A winning streak to talk about over the next couple of days. Juventus' season has been eventful, no doubt. It started with doom, slowly improved, and is now a bunch of good times filled with the squad winning lots of games. And that should make us happy — not only because of how the season got underway, but because we should like when Juventus wins. They are fun ... most of the time. And because of Juve haven't lost in nearly three months, they now sit all of two points out of first place as the second half of the season is set to officially begin this weekend. To have such a turnaround happen within a two- or three-month period, Juventus manager Max Allegri needed both continuity in the starting and his better players to start playing like it. That's happened, with Juventus' best players showing their worth as this nine-game winning streak as gone on been extended into the new year. This resurgence hasn't been a one-man effort by any means. We've seen a handful of players find their best form of the season during the current winning streak — which pretty go hand-in-hand at this point. But who has been the best of the best? Or maybe better yet, who has been the most valuable to the squad this season? Let's just go ahead and try to answer that question ourselves. The nominees... Gianluigi Buffon Because, who the hell expects a near-38-year-old goalkeeper to be this damn good at this point in his career? Well, it's more than Buffon basically giving the middle finger to Father Time. It's more than just Buffon making crucial save after crucial save despite facing two and a half times fewer shots than the likes of Emiliano Viviano and Nicola Leali. It's pretty much applicable to every box you can tick. Wherever you look, Buffon's importance is as crucial and as big as ever. Buffon has won games for Juventus both in Serie A and the Champions League. His saves have come at crucial times when Juve have both had the lead or been tied on the scoreboard. It's amazing when you consider that with Juventus' season getting better and better and the defense improving, sometimes the only save Buffon makes is one of the most important moments in the game. Or maybe we should be used to it by now because it's just Buffon being Buffon. So, yeah, basically, it's just another Buffon kind of season. Who said you're supposed to regress in your late-30s? Apparently San Gigi missed that memo. Paulo Dybala I'll just say this: Dybala is so fun to watch. So, so, so much fun. Beyond the fun, seeing Dybala having this big of an impact this early into his Juventus career might be a surprise to some. He's already close to matching his goal tally from last season when he had his breakout campaign at Palermo. He's on pace to record double digits in assists for the second straight season. Basically, he's proving to be a player that is worthy of that huge transfer fee Juventus dished out over the summer. His monster first half saw him zoom up the scoring charts just as fast as Juve shot up the Serie A standings. He's tied fourth in the league in goals with nine, tied for sixth in assists with five behind the five-man logjam at six. His goals have almost all been decisive in one way or another. And just by simply watching him you can see that the boy has all the talent that's needed to become a truly special player in this game. If there ever was a prime example of a young, cornerstone kind of striker to build your club around going into the future, Dybala would be it. You just get the sense that he's only getting started. Giorgio Chiellini It wasn't so long ago that some of us were wondering if Chiellini would get out of his prolonged funk that saw him make bad mistake after bad mistake. There is still the occasional slip-up out of the 31-year-old defender, but this season has seen him look more like the player of the past. He might not be racking up tackles like he used to — he's only averaging about two a game in Serie A this season — but he's been so much more consistent than the past season or two. And when it comes to somebody who has the tendency to pick up brash and sometimes uncalled for fouls because he defends so aggressively, that's saying something. You have to go waaaay down the list to see Chiellini's name when it comes to how many yellows each Juve player has picked up this season. I guess what I'm trying to say is that Chiellini has gotten back to looking like himself more than anything. See as who Juve have on their schedule the next couple of months, I feel safe in saying that's a pretty good thing. Claudio Marchisio With last weekend's victory over Sampdoria, we can now say that Juventus has officially won a game this season when Marchisio hasn't been in the starting lineup. Although, with this new-found success without Marchisio, I don't think it's a good idea to think of a world without Il Principino in the starting lineup all that often. It's easy to see why. According to WhoScored.com, Marchisio leads Juventus in both passes per game (67.1) and pass success rate (91.3). That's the statistical data to show just how dialed in Marchisio is right now. But, as we know, it's more than just numbers. Juve's midfield is just so much more balanced and functional when he's in the lineup compared to when he was out of the squad at the beginning of the season. Marchisio makes Paul Pogba better. He makes Sami Khedira better. Marchisiio's importance and value to the squad may very well be at an all-time high these days. And with the way he's playing this season, I feel safe in saying that's definitely not a bad thing. The more Marchisio in the starting line, the better, I say. Mario Mandzukic The best part about Mandzukic quickly finding form and becoming a productive striker once again? Paulo Dybala has a running buddy up top. And since Mandzukic's goal total has gone up and up and up, we've seen Dybala get better and better as well. But the main development with Mandzukic playing well is that it's giving Juventus' attack a second element to it. We know Dybala will create opportunities because he's so skilled and in incredible form right now. He will not only score goals, but set them up. Mandzukic, on the other hand, easily had his best stretch of games heading into the holiday break. On top of that, his goals in the Champions League this season — both against Manchester City, no less — either tied or won the game for Juventus. When you look at his stats in all competitions, it's surprising considering how he started. But with nine goals in 15 games in all competitions, that's a pretty good sign that the striker who started his Juventus career so poorly has been replaced by the one who is so highly thought of by so many footballing minds. Paul Pogba This probably wouldn't have even been the case if we had cased a vote at, say, the end of September instead of the first half's conclusion. Much like Mandzukic, Pogba's struggles pretty much were a microcosm of how the team as a whole were playing. Those struggles aren't around anymore. The sights of Pogba screaming at the top of his lungs out of frustration are long gone. So are the occurrences where Pogba is clearly trying to do too much and force the issue when things aren't going right. Instead, Pogba's game is now looking like the one we're all used to. There's still the tricks and flicks that makes Vine videos light up like a Christmas tree. (They're a little nicer when Juve's winning, I admit.) His pass success rate is third behind the other two starters in the center of the midfield, but he's now third behind Dybala and Juan Cuadrado in assists, third in goals behind Dybala and Mandzukic. Not too bad for a guy who is trying to do everything while Juve were frustrating the living hell out of us in August and September. POLL Who is your first-half MVP? 49% Paulo Dybala (251 votes) 21% Claudio Marchisio (110 votes) 21% Gianluigi Buffon (109 votes) 5% Paul Pogba (28 votes) 2% Mario Mandzukic (12 votes) 0% Giorgio Chiellini (2 votes) 512 votes total

Serie A - 1^ Giornata Ritorno - 17-1-2016 (ore 15:00) UDINESE - JUVENTUS - 1^ giornata di ritorno Domenica, 17 gennaio, 2016 - ore 15:00 Stadio Friuli, Udine Arbitro: Gianluca Rocchi Confronti ufficiali 90 - 83 (Serie A) - 3 (Coppa Italia) - 2 (Campionato a gironi) - 2 (Spareggio Coppa Uefa) Vittorie Juventus 58 - 55 (Serie A) - 1 (Coppa Italia) - 2 (Campionato a gironi) Pareggi 20 - 16 (Serie A) - 2 (Coppa Italia) - 2 (Spareggio Coppa Uefa) Vittorie Udinese 12 - 12 (Serie A) Goals Juventus 176 - 167 (Serie A) - 5 (Coppa Italia) - 3 (Campionato a gironi) - 1 (Spareggio Coppa Uefa) Goals Udinese 70 - 67 (Serie A) - 2 (Coppa Italia) - 1 (Spareggio Coppa Uefa) Udinese-Juventus a Udine Serie A Confronti ufficiali 41 Vittorie Juventus 24 (L'ultima il 14.04.2014, 0-2) Pareggi 12 (L'ultimo il 01.02.2015, 0-0) Vittorie Udinese 5 (L'ultima il 03.04.2010, 3-0) Goals Juventus 74 Goals Udinese 29 Giocatori con più presenze e goals contro l'Udinese a Udine 12 presenze Del Piero Alessandro 10 Buffon Gianluigi 8 Conte Antonio 8 Scirea Gaetano 8 Tacchinardi Alessio 7 Birindelli Alessandro 7 Boniperti Giampiero 7 Cabrini Antonio 7 Trezeguet David Sergio 6 Camoranesi Mauro German 4 goals Del Piero Alessandro 3 Charles John William 3 Giovinco Sebastian 3 Hansen John 3 Hansen Karl Aage 3 Iaquinta Vincenzo 3 Marocchino Domenico 3 Platini Michel 3 Vivolo Pasquale 2 Bettega Roberto 2 Boniperti Giampiero Ultimi confronti diretti 30.01.2011 Serie A Juventus-Udinese 1-2 21.12.2011 Serie A Udinese-Juventus 0-0 28.01.2012 Serie A Juventus-Udinese 2-1 02.09.2012 Serie A Udinese-Juventus 1-4 19.01.2013 Serie A Juventus-Udinese 4-0 01.12.2013 Serie A Juventus-Udinese 1-0 14.04.2014 Serie A Udinese-Juventus 0-2 13.09.2014 Serie A Juventus-Udinese 2-0 01.02.2015 Serie A Udinese-Juventus 0-0 23.08.2015 Serie A Juventus-Udinese 0-1 Giocate 10 - Vittorie Juventus 6 - Pareggi 2 - Vittorie Udinese 2 - Goals Juventus 16 - Goals Udinese 5 da juworld.net http://www.goal.com/it/tables/serie-a/13

UDINESE - JUVENTUS - MATCHDAY 20 Sunday, January 17th, 2016 - 3:00 PM Friuli Stadium, Udine Referee: Gianluca Rocchi Udinese - Juventus MATCH PREVIEW http://www.football-italia.net/SerieA/match/preview/70015 Jan 15, 2016 Juventus are looking for their 10th straight league victory when they visit Udinese in a crucial showdown on Sunday afternoon. The Bianconeri have managed to wipe away an abysmal start to the season by going on a remarkable run. With their defeat of Sampdoria, Max Allegri's men have managed to pull off nine consecutive victories and climb to within two points of the top of the table. The club's last defeat in league competition came back on October 28 against Sassuolo. Juventus will be extra motivated on Sunday against Udinese, after losing to the Zebrette in the opening match of the season. However, last year's Champions League finalists were a different team back then, and have now been able to regain the stellar form they showed over the past four seasons. Udinese will be no easy task though, as they've now won two of their last three league matches. It has been a rather difficult campaign for Stefano Colantuono's side. While the club sit a comfortable nine points above the relegation zone, they have still lost an abysmal nine games during the first half of the season. Udinese's biggest issue this year has been finding the back of the net. Only Carpi and Hellas Verona have scored less goals than them, with just 18 on the season so far. While Cyril Thereau has netted a respectable six goals this season, just two other players on the squad have three or more. Juventus come into Sunday's contest as the clear-cut favourites, but Udinese will be eager to shock the defending champions for the second time this season. Keep an eye on: Paul Pogba (Juventus) — The Frenchman has netted in three of Juventus' last four matches in all competitions, and will be full of confidence after being the only Serie A player to make the FIFA FIFPro World XI. Form Guide: Udinese (L W W L L) Juventus (W W W W W) Last Round: Juventus 0-1 Udinese Stat Fact: The last time Udinese beat Juventus at Stadio Friuli was back in April, 2010. Udinese (probable): Karnezis; Piris, Danilo, Felipe; Widmer, Badu, Lodi, Fernandes, Adnan; Perica, Thereau Suspended: None Juventus (probable): Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Khedira, Marchisio, Pogba, Alex Sandro; Mandzukic, Dybala Suspended: None http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

Pogba wants Barcelona? http://www.football-italia.net/78430/pogba-wants-barcelona? Jan 15, 2016 Reports in Spain claim Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba wants to move to Barcelona this summer. The 22-year-old is under contract with the Bianconeri until 2019, and said this week that he is happy in Turin. Despite this, the Frenchman has been consistently linked with a move away, with Barça having an €80m bid turned down this summer. That hasn’t stopped Mundo Deportivo from claiming Pogba could leave this summer, reporting that agent Mino Raiola is already working on a move for after Euro 2016. The newspaper believes that Pogba’s preferred destination is Camp Nou, insisting that the player told Lionel Messi at the Ballon d’Or ceremony that he’d like to move to Catalonia. Mundo Deportivo claims Pogba is not keen to return to the English Premier League after his experience with Manchester United, and is also not convinced by Paris Saint-Germain. However, the paper also notes that Juventus would be likely to ask for around €100m for one of their star men. In addition, the salary Pogba would likely command could cause additional problems, with Neymar, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets all currently negotiating new deals. If Pogba came in on higher wages than some of the current stars of the team, it could force the Blaugrana to raise the wages of such players.

Areas Where Juventus Are Worse Than Last Season http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2606782-areas-where-juventus-are-worse-than-last-season? Jan 15, 2016 The 2015/16 campaign has undoubtedly been a tumultuous one for Juventus, the reigning Serie A champions initially struggling to string positive results together before finally launching into a genuine defence of their title. Aside from some dreadfully bad luck in the opening rounds of the season, it is easy to look at the losses of Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Carlos Tevez as the reason for those early woes, but their former heroes must be forgotten and attention be focused on the other issues hindering their progress. Foremost among them is the number of problems in defence, where, despite conceding fewer times (15) than any side other than Inter (12), the Bianconeri have looked surprisingly vulnerable. Indeed, their tendency to concede soft goals this term has infuriated Massimiliano Allegri, the anger of the coach often fully on display during matches whenever he feels his side have been guilty of lapses in concentration. As the information in the tweet below highlights, Juventus have regularly seen their opponents hit the back of the net from their first sight of goal, the previously resolute back line leaving goalkeeper Gigi Buffon exposed all too often. OptaPaolo ✔ @OptaPaolo 1 - Juventus have conceded with the 1st shot on target they faced tonight, like on 6 other occasions also in Serie A this term. Handicap. Andrea Barzagli lost his man to allow Frosinone to score at Juventus Stadium in September, Giorgio Chiellini gifted Borussia Monchengladbach their chance in Germany in November and, in that same month, a rare Leonardo Bonucci mistake led to Empoli’s surprise opener at the Stadio Carlo Castellani. Bonucci also looked poor against Carpi just before the winter break, and after Antonio Cassano netted for Sampdoria last time out, Allegri discussed the matter with Sky Italia and Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia): We should’ve controlled the ball better after the second goal and created too many risky situations. Serie A is extremely difficult, it’s not that I have a demon inside me, but we could’ve gone 3-0 up and instead conceded the 2-1. We keep doing this and it’s not as if in Serie A you can expect to never concede a shot on target, but we mustn’t force the situation when there’s no need to. Furthermore, the team is making a higher number of fouls than last term, statistics on WhoScored.com showing only seven teams have committed more than Juve’s 16.3 infringements per game. Last season, that figure was just 13.8, according to the same source, the third-lowest tally in the league. That dip has certainly cost Juventus, with Sassuolo, Frosinone and AS Roma all taking points from the Turin giants after they gave away free-kicks in dangerous areas. It is somewhat surprising to note that number has risen given the side has actually made fewer tackles than last term’s 17.5 per game, the tally for 2015/16 dropping to 16.3. The Bianconeri have also enjoyed less possession of the ball and made fewer passes than a year ago. Figures show they retained the ball 55.7 percent of the time and made 536.9 passes per game in 2014/15, the corresponding numbers this term sitting at 54.7 percent and 512.3 passes per outing. OptaPaolo ✔ @OptaPaolo 9 - Juventus have recovered nine league position in the last nine Serie A games (W9). Return. Yet despite those downward trends, it is clear Allegri has his team focused and heading in the right direction, the graphic in the tweet above showing just how quickly they have risen up the Serie A standings as a result of their ongoing nine-game winning run. “I didn’t think we’d put together nine straight wins, but I knew we were a team with a lot of quality who still had to find their balance and recover some figures from the treatment room,” Buffon told Sky Italia (h/t Football Italia) after the Sampdoria game. “In that case, I am not surprised by this comeback.” Given the quality and depth of their squad, it should indeed not be a shock to see Juventus once again be protagonists in the title race, and if they improve in the aforementioned areas, a fifth consecutive triumph is almost certainly possible. http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

Allegri: Juventus are flying but title will go to the wire The 48-year-old is thrilled with his side's recent form, but says the race to be crowned champions is "unbelievably tight". http://www.goal.com/en/news/723/serie-a/2016/01/14/19336832/-? Jan 14, 2016 Massimiliano Allegri has voiced his delight with Juventus' ominous form but says he expects the Serie A title race to go right to the wire. The reigning champions are on a nine-game winning streak in the league and, despite a poor start to the season, now sit just two points behind leaders Napoli. Allegri told Juventus TV: "We didn't make a great start but now we're flying. Our goal is to win the Serie A title. "The toughest of our recent wins? Tough question! I'll go for the 3-1 win over Fiorentina. "I was concerned before our first game after the winter break versus Verona. Getting back into the swing of things is always tricky after a break. "The title race is unbelievably tight and I think it will go right to the wire." Allegri also touched on Juventus' Champions League round-of-16 tie with Bayern Munich and is optimistic about their chances of progressing to the quarter-finals. "We got dealt one of the toughest Champions League draws but we believe that we can reach the last eight," he added. "The atmosphere is top class at Juventus Stadium and has the power to carry the boys through tough moments."

‘Juventus can beat Bayern’ http://www.football-italia.net/78362/%E2%80%98juventus-can-beat-bayern%E2%80%99 Jan 14, 2016 Massimiliano Allegri believes Juventus “have an excellent opportunity to progress” against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. The Bianconeri face the German giants in the Last 16 of the competition, having finished second in their group thanks to a last day defeat at Sevilla. “Knowing what I’ll say to the team the day before the game is difficult, because it’s still two and a half months away,” Allegri explained to JTV. “What I can say is that we’re facing a big Last 16 tie, one that’s harder than all the others in the Last 16. “We know we’re facing a top team in Bayern, we have an excellent opportunity to progress, but in these games it also takes some luck. “We’re looking at things positively though, if we go through we’ll have eliminated one of the Champions League favourites. “We had an almost perfect group, because perfection exists, focusing on the last match against Sevilla because it would have allowed us to finish the group stage unbeaten and above everyone.” Allegri also took the time to thank the Juve fans, after recovering from a poor start to the season. “I thank all the fans who support us, and support the team in every game, but we’re only halfway. “I’d say that we changed a lot of players this year, 10 changes in total and that’s not few. “We have a lot of youngsters, who are growing thanks to a core of older players who have helped and are helping them grow.”

UDINESE - JUVENTUS - MATCHDAY 20 Sunday, January 17th, 2016 - 3:00 PM Friuli Stadium, Udine Referee: Gianluca Rocchi Allegri: ‘Scudetto on last day’ http://www.football-italia.net/78360/allegri-‘scudetto-last-day’? Jan 14, 2016 Juventus Coach Massimiliano Allegri believes the Scudetto race “will be decided on the final day”. The Bianconeri are right back in the title fight after a poor start to the season, sitting in joint-second place with Inter, two points behind leaders Napoli. “The League is very balanced, and it’ll be balanced until the end,” Allegri told JTV. “I’m sure it will be decided on the final day, because it’s a question of maths. A team which has a great second half to the season, getting lots of wins, will take around 46 to 48 points, then the second will get 40 points. “Consequently, that means the title race will go down to the last days, and I think the last. “We have a lot of work to do, especially because we didn’t start this season in the best way, we’re still chasing and have to overcome two teams in the table. “The ultimate goal is to finish top, and we’ll need a very good second half of the season to do so.” Allegri then looked ahead to this weekend’s clash with Udinese, with the Old Lady looking to win their 10th game in a row. “The match against Udinese will be very difficult, because they’re going through a good period, even if they lost to Carpi. “They’re opening their new stadium, so it’ll be a special Sunday for them, but it has to be an important one for us. “It marks the start of the second half of the season, and we have 19 games to get the fifth-consecutive Scudetto, which would enter into the history of Juventus. “So it’ll be a very difficult game.” http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

UDINESE - JUVENTUS - MATCHDAY 20 Sunday, January 17th, 2016 - 3:00 PM Friuli Stadium, Udine Referee: Gianluca Rocchi Rocchi to ref Udinese-Juventus http://www.football-italia.net/78354/doveri-ref-milan-fiorentina? Jan 14, 2016 Daniele Doveri will referee Fiorentina’s trip to face Milan this weekend, while Gianluca Rocchi is given Udinese-Juventus. The 38-year-old Doveri has been refereeing Serie A matches since 2011 and will officiate this weekend’s showcase Serie A clash. Experienced official Rocchi will take charge of Juve’s trip to the Stadio Friuli as they aim to record their tenth consecutive league win. Referees for Week 20 Atalanta-Inter: Rizzoli Torino-Frosinone: Irrati Napoli-Sassuolo: Giacomelli Genoa-Palermo: Celi Bologna-Lazio: Di Bello Carpi-Sampdoria: Mariani Chievo-Empoli: Abisso Roma-Verona: Massa Udinese-Juventus: Rocchi Milan-Fiorentina: Doveri http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127