Parma vs Juventus

February 14, 2012
By: John Hansen

Parma extended their unbeaten run to four Serie A games as they beat Chievo in Verona, meaning il Ducali go into this game high on confidence. Juventus won their Coppa Italia semi-final first leg against Milan last time out and the Bianconeri are now hoping to return to Serie A summit with three points from Ennio Tardini.

Parma continue to impress

Parma have spent last few years trying to return to old glory days and while il Ducali are still nowhere near the top of the standings, the team have been showing a lot of promise this season. Boasting seasoned Serie A players like Zaccardo, Mirante, Lucarelli and Modesto, while relying on the talent of Seba Giovinco, Jonathan Biabiany and Daniele Galloppa, Parma look very good at the moment and it is only a matter of time before they climb to the top half of the table. The arrival of Roberto Donadoni has had a very positive effect on the squad as Parma are still unbeaten under the guidance of former Italy boss, having beaten Chievo and Siena, while sharing spoils with Bologna and Catania in their last four games. The hosts are now brimming with confidence before the visit of Juventus and they will give their best to take at least one point from this clash. I should remain you that Parma are unbeaten in last six Serie A games at their Ennio Tardini.

With no fresh injury worries to report, boss Roberto Donadoni will stay true to his 3-5-2 formation, with Sebastian Giovinco and Sergip Floccarri set to form the attacking partnership.

Juve still unbeaten

Juventus are clearly enjoying one of the most successful seasons in recent history and the Bianconeri look like the hot favourites for the Serie A title. With no European distractions, Antonio Conte’s side have done well to keep the rich vein of form, and the fact Juventus haven’t lost a single game this season speaks volumes about the Turin-based outfit. Having conceded just 13 goals in 21 games, the Old Lady boast by far the best defensive record in the elite division, while the cautious approach usually adopted by Antonio Conte is the main reason why the Bianconeri scored just 33 goals in the same period. Following the goalless draw against Siena, Juventus beat Milan in Coppa Italia semi-final first leg, but with Parma also doing really well at the moment, the visitors are likely to play a waiting game, keeping Gianluigi Buffon well guarded at all times.

Antonio Conte recently reverted to 3-5-2 formation and he is likely to stick to the same system for this game. The talented boss can choose from a fully fit squad.

Verdict

Parma are playing with a lot of confidence at the moment and they are proving to be really difficult to break. Juventus cannot be expected to go all guns blazing at their opponents, but they will rather play it cautiously and wait for the opponents’ mistake, so under 2.5 looks like a good bet here.

Our prediction: Under 2.5 goals

Odds: 1.70 (7/10)

Bookmaker: BetVictor

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