Juventus - Ascoli
Stadio Delle Alpi
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Juventus will be looking to maintain their 100 per cent record when they take on one of the Serie A new boys. On paper this should not even be a contest, but this is Serie A and anything can happen. Despite hammering another of the newcomers Empoli in Week 2, the Old Lady’s next opponents should offer more of a test. Just ask Milan if Ascoli are the non-entity that most predicted they would be.
Much of the pre-match talk for the Turin-based Bianconeri has focused on their problems at the back. They might not have conceded a goal in their opening two matches, but that could be about to change. They are woefully short of numbers, with Lilian Thuram, Alessandro Birindelli and Gianluca Pessotto all likely to be missing. The injury to Thuram was particularly hard to stomach for Coach Fabio Capello, as it came about on international duty. Alex Del Piero may have shaken off a thigh injury but the club captain is likely to settle for a place on the bench once again.
Meanwhile, the Stadio Del Duca outfit have had a promising start to the campaign with consecutive draws against Milan and Lecce. Coach Marco Giampaolo is taking to Serie A like a duck to water – literally, in the case of the game against the Rossoneri – and is unlikely to make any unnecessary changes to his team. However, he is forced to make one switch. Vittorio Tosto was dismissed last weekend, so he will be replaced in defence by Gianluca Comotto, who makes his debut after signing from Torino.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Juventus (probable): Abbiati; Zebina, Kovac, F Cannavaro, Zambrotta; Camoranesi, Emerson, Del Vieira, Nedved; Trezeguet, Ibrahimovic
Ascoli (probable): Coppola; Carbone, Cudini, Domizzi, Comotto; Foggia, Cristiano, Parola, Fini; Quagliarella, Ferrante