BACKGROUND
Juventus will be hoping to get back within touching distance of the league-leading Milan sides with a win at home to relegation-haunted Reggina on Sunday.
An absolute cracker of a last-gasp winner by Camoranesi enabled the Bianconeri to go into the winterbreak in high spirits - at least relative to the bleak mood they had been in due to having lost three home-games in a row leading up to their final match of the first-half of the season against Perugia.
It was not a Christmas holiday free of discontent at the Delle Alpi, however, as persistent – and not entirely unwarranted - speculation in the press about a possible departure of David Trezeguet caused the powers that be at Juve to enforce what is just short of a full-out press ban.
Juventus would like nothing more than to force the peeved press to pen articles filled with praise rather than poison by confirming their championship credentials with a strong showing on Sunday.
Despite their lowly league status, Reggina aren't likely to prove pushovers, however, and they will be gunning for revenge for their recent Coppa Italia exit at the hands of the Juventini. The esteemed Luigi De Canio already seemed to have asserted his influence after just a couple of games in charge, meaning that the Reggio Calabria side's mindstate coming out of the break should prove positive.
The Serie A minnows were given a further boost by the recent pledge of loyalty by their star Shunsuke Nakamura, who insisted he would rather remain embroiled in a struggle for survival than link up with his fellow countryman Hidetoshi Nakata in Parma.
"My first objective is to stay in Reggina and give my full contribution to my teammates in order to keep Reggina in Serie A," the 'Asian Baggio' said in face of reports that Parma were preparing a bid for him.
"I've returned from a break in Japan with great determination and desire to play football in Italy again. Everything else, especially reports that are currently circulating regarding my future, are of no interest to me at the moment," he concluded.
LATEST TEAM NEWS
Juventus: Marcelo Lippi will have tor reckon without Iuliano and Montero, though this shall hardly trouble him as Juve arguably boast the deepest defense in all of world football. David Trezeguet is finally back to something approaching full fitness following his knee problems, so he should get the nod to start beside the mercurial Alessandro Del Piero, with Pavel Nedved conducting affairs from the pocket immediately behind them.
Reggina: Di Canio will have to reckon without Paredes and Bogdani, but aside from that has his whole squad available to him.
FORMGUIDE
Juventus – last 6 matches (all comps): WLWLLW
Juventus were stunned at home by Brescia at the beginning of December, which set off a series of three losses in a row domestically. The toughest one to swallow was a 2-1 loss at home to fellow championship challengers Lazio, and the subsequent 1-0 Coppa Italia defeat by Reggina didn't do much for the ego either despite the fact that they still managed to squeak through on aggregate. At least they managed to go into the winter-break on a high, albeit in controversial fashion at the expense of Perugia.
Reggina – last 6 matches (all comps): TLLLWW
It seems things are looking up at Reggina following a disastrous start to the season, as they went into the winter breather with back-to-back victories under their belt. Given, the first one couldn't defeat of Piacenza which soon followed did much to suggest that Reggina are worthy of their Serie A status.
LOOK OUT FOR
Trezeguet and Nakamura, the two players that were most hotly tipped for a transfer away from their respective clubs, will be firmly in the spotlight on Saturday, and both will be looking to prove that they are invulnerable to off-the-field distractions. The French bomber will be out to prove that long-term injury hasn't robbed him of his scoring touch, while Reggina's Asian sensation has vowed to do everything in his power to score his first goal from open play in Italy.
PROBABLES
Juventus: (4-3-1-2) Buffon; Birindelli, Thuram, Ferrara, Zambrotta; Camoranesi, Conte, Davids; Nedved; Del Piero, Trezeguet.
Reggina: (4-3-1-2) Belardi; Pierini, Cirillo, Franceschini, Falsini; Cozza, Mamede, Mozart; Nakamura; Savoldi, Di Michele.
Juventus will be hoping to get back within touching distance of the league-leading Milan sides with a win at home to relegation-haunted Reggina on Sunday.
An absolute cracker of a last-gasp winner by Camoranesi enabled the Bianconeri to go into the winterbreak in high spirits - at least relative to the bleak mood they had been in due to having lost three home-games in a row leading up to their final match of the first-half of the season against Perugia.
It was not a Christmas holiday free of discontent at the Delle Alpi, however, as persistent – and not entirely unwarranted - speculation in the press about a possible departure of David Trezeguet caused the powers that be at Juve to enforce what is just short of a full-out press ban.
Juventus would like nothing more than to force the peeved press to pen articles filled with praise rather than poison by confirming their championship credentials with a strong showing on Sunday.
Despite their lowly league status, Reggina aren't likely to prove pushovers, however, and they will be gunning for revenge for their recent Coppa Italia exit at the hands of the Juventini. The esteemed Luigi De Canio already seemed to have asserted his influence after just a couple of games in charge, meaning that the Reggio Calabria side's mindstate coming out of the break should prove positive.
The Serie A minnows were given a further boost by the recent pledge of loyalty by their star Shunsuke Nakamura, who insisted he would rather remain embroiled in a struggle for survival than link up with his fellow countryman Hidetoshi Nakata in Parma.
"My first objective is to stay in Reggina and give my full contribution to my teammates in order to keep Reggina in Serie A," the 'Asian Baggio' said in face of reports that Parma were preparing a bid for him.
"I've returned from a break in Japan with great determination and desire to play football in Italy again. Everything else, especially reports that are currently circulating regarding my future, are of no interest to me at the moment," he concluded.
LATEST TEAM NEWS
Juventus: Marcelo Lippi will have tor reckon without Iuliano and Montero, though this shall hardly trouble him as Juve arguably boast the deepest defense in all of world football. David Trezeguet is finally back to something approaching full fitness following his knee problems, so he should get the nod to start beside the mercurial Alessandro Del Piero, with Pavel Nedved conducting affairs from the pocket immediately behind them.
Reggina: Di Canio will have to reckon without Paredes and Bogdani, but aside from that has his whole squad available to him.
FORMGUIDE
Juventus – last 6 matches (all comps): WLWLLW
Juventus were stunned at home by Brescia at the beginning of December, which set off a series of three losses in a row domestically. The toughest one to swallow was a 2-1 loss at home to fellow championship challengers Lazio, and the subsequent 1-0 Coppa Italia defeat by Reggina didn't do much for the ego either despite the fact that they still managed to squeak through on aggregate. At least they managed to go into the winter-break on a high, albeit in controversial fashion at the expense of Perugia.
Reggina – last 6 matches (all comps): TLLLWW
It seems things are looking up at Reggina following a disastrous start to the season, as they went into the winter breather with back-to-back victories under their belt. Given, the first one couldn't defeat of Piacenza which soon followed did much to suggest that Reggina are worthy of their Serie A status.
LOOK OUT FOR
Trezeguet and Nakamura, the two players that were most hotly tipped for a transfer away from their respective clubs, will be firmly in the spotlight on Saturday, and both will be looking to prove that they are invulnerable to off-the-field distractions. The French bomber will be out to prove that long-term injury hasn't robbed him of his scoring touch, while Reggina's Asian sensation has vowed to do everything in his power to score his first goal from open play in Italy.
PROBABLES
Juventus: (4-3-1-2) Buffon; Birindelli, Thuram, Ferrara, Zambrotta; Camoranesi, Conte, Davids; Nedved; Del Piero, Trezeguet.
Reggina: (4-3-1-2) Belardi; Pierini, Cirillo, Franceschini, Falsini; Cozza, Mamede, Mozart; Nakamura; Savoldi, Di Michele.
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