[Seria A] Juventus - Lecce (7 Viewers)
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Juventus - Lecce
Stadio Delle Alpi
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While the main objective for Juventus on Sunday is the three points that will keep the pressure on Scudetto rivals Milan, and take them past the 70 point barrier, there will also be some underlying desire for retribution against Lecce boss Zdenek Zeman.
The chain-smoking chief was responsible for a lot of the vociferous comments that preceded the doping case brought against the Bianconeri. A win at the Stadio Delle Alpi at the weekend would be a small victory over their verbal assailant for Juve but it would be a sweet victory nonetheless.
Lecce have little real objectives left to motivate them at this stage in the season. They have surely secured their Serie A status for another year but have no realistic chance of catching the chase for European places. However, the opportunity to throw a spanner into Juve’s bid for their 28th championship will certainly be enough to raise the Giallorossi’s game.
The Bianconeri were shocked last year when Lecce left Turin with a 4-3 victory. The Via Del Mare club actually held a 4-1 lead at one stage in that game. It is that kind of miraculous result that will drive them on and instil some belief in their ranks ahead of their meeting with the joint leaders.
Juventus will take comfort from their 1-0 triumph in Week 12. In horrendous conditions, torrential downpours had almost threatened to see the game postponed, an Alex Del Piero strike gave Juve the win. Another determined performance like that will satisfy the Juve faithful.
From first sharing the lead at the top, Fabio Capello’s men have thus far matched their Milan rivals performances. But with the Rossoneri hitting the road to Siena this weekend it could be the Turin side who have the chance to take a step ahead in the neck-and-neck title race.
Since their back-to-back defeats to Sampdoria and Palermo in early February, and the collapse of their eight-point lead, Juventus have picked up five wins and two draws. A run of three straight home wins should strike fear into a Lecce side who haven’t picked up a point away from home in four attempts.
Lecce midfielder Cristian Ledesma will be keener than most to shine if he makes it into the squad. He has been strongly linked with a move to Juve in the summer and could use the game as a chance to impress his suitors at close quarters.
Juve’s defence will be without veteran Ciro Ferrara and Frenchman Jonathan Zebina. Lecce will miss attacking midfielder Babu, defender Giuseppe Abruzzese and striker Giuseppe Cozzolino who are all out injured.
Lecce are expected to drop Sasa Bjelanovic for Serbian striker Mirko Vucinic and Ledesma will be replaced by Marco Cassetti in midfield, while Brazilian Angelo slots into Cassetti’s place in the back line. For Juventus it will be Gianluca Pessotto dropping into the back four instead of Alessandro Birindelli, while Alessio Tacchinardi also drops out of the side. Emerson and Manuele Blasi fill their gaps in the Old Lady’s midfield.
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Juventus (probable): Buffon; Pessotto, Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta; Camoranesi, Blasi, Emerson, Nedved; Ibrahimovic, Del Piero
Lecce (probable): Sicignano; Angelo, Paci, Stovini, Rullo; Cassetti, Dalla Bona, Giacomazzi; Valdes, Vucinic, Pinardi
Stadio Delle Alpi
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While the main objective for Juventus on Sunday is the three points that will keep the pressure on Scudetto rivals Milan, and take them past the 70 point barrier, there will also be some underlying desire for retribution against Lecce boss Zdenek Zeman.
The chain-smoking chief was responsible for a lot of the vociferous comments that preceded the doping case brought against the Bianconeri. A win at the Stadio Delle Alpi at the weekend would be a small victory over their verbal assailant for Juve but it would be a sweet victory nonetheless.
Lecce have little real objectives left to motivate them at this stage in the season. They have surely secured their Serie A status for another year but have no realistic chance of catching the chase for European places. However, the opportunity to throw a spanner into Juve’s bid for their 28th championship will certainly be enough to raise the Giallorossi’s game.
The Bianconeri were shocked last year when Lecce left Turin with a 4-3 victory. The Via Del Mare club actually held a 4-1 lead at one stage in that game. It is that kind of miraculous result that will drive them on and instil some belief in their ranks ahead of their meeting with the joint leaders.
Juventus will take comfort from their 1-0 triumph in Week 12. In horrendous conditions, torrential downpours had almost threatened to see the game postponed, an Alex Del Piero strike gave Juve the win. Another determined performance like that will satisfy the Juve faithful.
From first sharing the lead at the top, Fabio Capello’s men have thus far matched their Milan rivals performances. But with the Rossoneri hitting the road to Siena this weekend it could be the Turin side who have the chance to take a step ahead in the neck-and-neck title race.
Since their back-to-back defeats to Sampdoria and Palermo in early February, and the collapse of their eight-point lead, Juventus have picked up five wins and two draws. A run of three straight home wins should strike fear into a Lecce side who haven’t picked up a point away from home in four attempts.
Lecce midfielder Cristian Ledesma will be keener than most to shine if he makes it into the squad. He has been strongly linked with a move to Juve in the summer and could use the game as a chance to impress his suitors at close quarters.
Juve’s defence will be without veteran Ciro Ferrara and Frenchman Jonathan Zebina. Lecce will miss attacking midfielder Babu, defender Giuseppe Abruzzese and striker Giuseppe Cozzolino who are all out injured.
Lecce are expected to drop Sasa Bjelanovic for Serbian striker Mirko Vucinic and Ledesma will be replaced by Marco Cassetti in midfield, while Brazilian Angelo slots into Cassetti’s place in the back line. For Juventus it will be Gianluca Pessotto dropping into the back four instead of Alessandro Birindelli, while Alessio Tacchinardi also drops out of the side. Emerson and Manuele Blasi fill their gaps in the Old Lady’s midfield.
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Juventus (probable): Buffon; Pessotto, Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta; Camoranesi, Blasi, Emerson, Nedved; Ibrahimovic, Del Piero
Lecce (probable): Sicignano; Angelo, Paci, Stovini, Rullo; Cassetti, Dalla Bona, Giacomazzi; Valdes, Vucinic, Pinardi
