JUVENTUS SEASON 2025-2026

[Socrates 9450]

Juventus 2 - Udinese 0: Initial reaction and random observations

 

 

Thankfully, Juventus’ first foray into the Coppa Italia this season didn’t go anywhere close to how their last fixture in the competition went about nine months earlier. ............

 

That’s because Juventus beat Udinese 2-0 on Tuesday night to advance to the Coppa Italia quarterfinals where either Atalanta or Genoa await in the quarterfinals. It was the kind of win that we hadn’t seen much of this season — a Juventus that was in control and barely let the opposition do much of anything going forward. As much as a couple of Udinese’s best chances were ruled out for offside (thanks to VAR or without VAR), you could say the same thing about a pair of goals that Juventus thought they had scored in the game. Ultimately, a Udinese own goal and a Manuel Locatelli goal from the penalty spot — the third of that kind against Udinese this season — proved to the different as Juve clinched the win in an incredibly comfortable kind of way. ............

 

Juventus were the favorites to win. Juventus ended up getting the win and did so with some room to spare regardless of how many goals were chalked off by VAR being completely frustrating like only that whole system can promise to be.

 

Then again, maybe we shouldn’t have been so stressed no matter how Juve’s season has gone to date. Why? Because sometimes there’s facts that speak for themselves …

 

A perfect 18 for 18 dating back nearly two decades? My goodness, that’s pretty good! Considering the date that this goes back to, it’s not like there were some vintage Juventus squads in there, either. You know, kinda like this Juventus team. But this is what we all expect Juventus to do at this stage of the Coppa Italia. The matchups are set up for the big clubs to advance even with the expected squad rotation that comes with it. And even as Luciano Spalletti said that there would be a good amount of squad rotation against Udinese — and he delivered on that for the most part — but also made it known just how much Juve needed to win this one as well. ............

 

But on this night, Juventus made things look relatively smooth just as they did when Udinese visited the Allianz about five weeks ago. This time it was Spalletti on the sidelines and not Massimo Brambilla, but the showing that Juve put out there even with the lineup changes were sound and they were in control of things from the beginning onward. With all the possession they had — especially early — you would have liked there to be more scoring chances created, but Udinese weren’t given much of a chance to do anything at all. ............

 

And once Juve got the opening goal on what looked like Jonathan David’s second goal in a week before it was officially ruled on own goal, it felt like only one of those classic Bianconeri screwups would be the thing that prevents them from moving on to the Coppa Italia quarterfinals.

 

Udinese never got that break, thanks in part to the offside working in Juve’s favor.

 

No matter what, though, we’re still talking about Juve being in the Coppa Italia and moving on to the quarterfinals. Now just don’t mention what happened in the quarterfinals last season and we’ll be good.

 

RANDOM THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS

• As much as Spalletti sounded happy with this performance, he said that Juve need to be more ruthless. Seeing off a very winnable game earlier and being ruthless? That sounds wonderful! Where do I sign up? At least be the second signature on that list after Spalletti, of course.
• Personally, I feel like this trend of a Juventus player getting hurt every game needs to end. First Dusan Vlahovic, now Federico Gatti. Who’s next? I am scared to find out!
• Going to Naples this weekend with two healthy center backs seems like a situation that is very much far from ideal. A memo to Gleison Bremer and big Dan Rugani: please get healthy as soon as possible.
• It’s the 15th minute and Juventus has 80% of the possession. ............
• Is this the best overall game that Jonathan David has had since joining Juventus? Yeah, I feel pretty safe in saying that. And that sure does feel good to see knowing that Juve are going to be without Vlahovic for the next couple of months at least. He didn’t get a goal — thanks for that own goal, guys! — but he sure did so many other good things to make you feel a little more encouraged after this one.
• Now, for David, it just has to continue. That’s the most obvious thing I’ve said on this blog in a while. I think.
• The one gripe I have with Spalletti in this game is resting Kenan Yildiz. I don’t know the reasoning behind it, but if you have a chance to rest your best player and still have a very good chance of winning, you go ahead and do it. Juventus could have gotten by without Yildiz against Udinese and given him a full week off going into the biggest domestic fixture outside of the Derby d’Italia to date. Oh well.
• Is it safe to say that Edon Zhegrova, a lot like Yildiz, comes from the school of wanting to destroy and embarrass opposing defenders as much as possible? I think so. ............
• Edon, my dude, just get those fitness levels up so we can enjoy your crafty footwork for more than 10 or 15 minutes a game (or week). There’s so much potential for good things with you on the field because we’ve seen that happen already. Now we just need it for an entire half or maybe, just maybe, from the opening kickoff a few times over the next month or two.
• This was Weston McKennie’s 200th game in a Juventus jersey.
• This was Manuel Locatelli’s 201st game in a Juventus jersey. ............
• Udinese’s first shot didn’t happen until the 47th minute. More of that sounds like a good idea. Especially the fact that none of the four shots Udinese had against Juventus were actually on goal. ............
• Pierre Kalulu, a guy who also probably needs a rest, continues to just be so sound defensively. At some point he will get a rest, but until then just keep on doing what you’re doing, my dude.
• Now we can turn all of the attention over to facing Napoli this weekend. They’re not untouchable by any means, and Antonio Conte has shown to have some issues with this squad this season. It’s going to be a big ask, but Juve going to southern Italy with three wins in the span of eight days feels like as good as we could have asked entering Spalletti’s first game at the Maradona since leading Napoli to their first title in three decades. It’s going to be an interesting Sunday night, my friends.

Read more -> https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/previews-reviews/34339/juventus-udinese-2025-coppa-italia-round-of-16-final-score-result-initial-reaction-random-observations

Modificato Mercoledì alle 08:40 da Socrates

[Socrates 9450]

How Juventus could line up against Napoli after triple defensive injury problem

 

 

An injury to Federico Gatti means that Luciano Spalletti has been left without three of his first-team centre-backs for Sunday’s huge Serie A clash away against reigning champions Napoli, so how could the Bianconeri line up at the back when they take on the Partenopei at the Maradona? ............

 

Gatti adds to an injury list that already included two first-team centre-backs in Gleison Bremer and Daniele Rugani, both of whom are hoping to return towards the end of December.

 

The situation means that Pierre Kalulu and Lloyd Kelly are now the only established senior centre-backs in Spalletti’s first-team squad, which is a bit of a concern given that the Old Lady have most regularly lined up in a back three this season. ............

 

If Spalletti is to go with a back three when he takes on his former club this weekend, it is most likely that Teun Koopmeiners, who has been tried out in the defensive line in recent weeks, joins Kalulu and Kelly as the third centre-back. There is also a possibility that Juan Cabal is given a go on the left of the three. ............

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Read more -> https://football-italia.net/how-juventus-line-up-vs-napoli-after-gatti/

[Socrates 9450]

Pistocchi thinks Juventus performance against Udinese was their best so far

 

 

Juventus delivered a commanding performance in their first Coppa Italia match under Luciano Spalletti last night. The men in black and white have long been regarded as one of Europe’s strongest clubs and continue to hold that reputation despite a recent run of poor form. The club are striving to reach the next level and restore the glory days at the Allianz Stadium, and Spalletti has been tasked with guiding them back to that standard. His team has shown early signs of improvement, winning three consecutive games under his management. ............

 

Each of these victories has been achieved in a convincing manner, with the match against Udinese highlighting the progress being made. Juventus kept a clean sheet and displayed a level of organisation and efficiency that supporters have long sought. This consistency is essential if the men in black and white are to maintain momentum and demonstrate that they are capable of sustaining a winning run. The players appear to be adapting to the mindset and tactical system that Spalletti demands, combining disciplined defending with a more proactive approach in attack. ............

 

Journalist Maurizio Pistocchi offered his perspective on the team’s performance against Udinese. He said, “The best Juve seen so far beats Udinese 2-0 and continues its journey in the Coppa Italia. Beyond the incidents that led to Palma’s own goal and Locatelli’s penalty, the Bianconeri appeared to be improving in terms of play and in good physical condition against a very physical and organised opponent. A clear victory, achieved by controlling the game, which reassures the Juventus atmosphere in the week leading up to the Maradona match against league leaders Napoli.” ............

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Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/journalist-thinks-juventus-performance-against-udinese-was-their-best-so-far/

[Socrates 9450]

Napoli in Full-blow crisis ahead of Juventus clash as Conte loses another key midfielder

 

 

Napoli have been dealt another painful injury blow, with Stanislav Lobotka also ruled out of Sunday’s showdown against Juventus.

 

Antonio Conte has already been without Manchester City icon Kevin De Bruyne, who suffered a serious injury while converting a spot-kick against Inter in late October.

 

Moreover, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Billy Gilmour have also succumbed to injuries in recent weeks, thus leaving Conte with a completely ravaged midfield department. ............

 

“Stanislav Lobotka sustained a muscle strain in the posterior tibial muscle of his left leg during Wednesday’s pre-match warm-up,” reads the press release published on the official Napoli website.

 

“The Napoli player has already started the rehabilitation process.”

 

The Slovakian is considered one of the finest deep-lying playmakers in Serie A, and even Juventus are said to be interested in reuniting him with Luciano Spalletti. Therefore, Conte will be loath to lose his services, especially ahead of a major contest against Juventus. ............

 

With the midfield department almost entirely decimated, Conte will resort to Scott McTominay for inspiration. However, it remains to be seen who will play alongside the Manchester United youth product.

 

The versatile Eljif Elmas could be the best option, although he’s considered an attacking midfielder rather than a deep-lying playmaker. ............

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Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/napoli-crisis-juventus-clash-conte-lobotka/

[Socrates 9450]

David or Openda: Who should lead the line for Juventus against Napoli?

 

 

Juventus striker Lois Openda could be set to replace fellow summer signing Jonathan David in the starting lineup against Napoli.

 

The two attackers have been enduring almost identical paths since arriving in Turin. Neither has been able to deliver in front of goal since the start of the season, but they both managed to score against Bodo/Glimt in last week’s Champions League contest. ............

 

On Tuesday, David got the nod in the Coppa Italia Round 16 against Udinese, while Openda replaced him in the closing stages of the match.

 

The Old Lady prevailed by two unanswered goals, but ironically, the two strikers saw their goals disallowed for marginal offside positions. ............

 

Spalletti considers David a classic No.9 capable of inflicting damage in the box. Therefore, the Canadian’s traits are particularly useful against smaller opposition in Serie A, who tend to deploy low defensive blocks.

 

On the other hand, Openda is a pacey attacker who thrives in space. This renders him more dangerous against bigger opponents, or generally clubs that like to push forward and leave acres of space at the back. ............

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Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/david-or-openda-who-should-lead-the-line-for-juventus-against-napoli/