Juventus vs Napoli preview

February 27, 2017
By: Nemanja Lazarevic

Serie A title rivals Juventus and Napoli will square off in the Coppa Italia semi-final, with the first leg taking place on Tuesday evening in Turin.

The Bianconeri head into the high-profile game in much better spirits than the opposition, with the Azzurri shaken by the home loss to Atalanta.

Juventus are enjoying another season to remember and they are still in contention for three major trophies, which is exactly where they want to be.

Boasting a seven-point advantage over AS Roma with 12 games to go, the Bianconeri are cruising towards sixth consecutive league title, whereas they are on the verge of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals.

The 2-0 away win over FC Porto put them in the driving seat and now it’s time to try and secure a place in the Coppa Italia final.

That will be no easy task considering the opposition in the semis, but having won last nine matches in all competitions, Juventus have been made 1.80 (4/5) favourites to win the first leg.

Leonardo Bonucci returned to the side after clashing with coach Max Allegri, and he should keep his place, while Paulo Dybala, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Giorgio Chiellini will be recalled.

Probable starting line-up (4-2-3-1): Neto – Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini – Khedira, Pjanic – Cuadrado, Dybala, Mandzukic – Higuain.

Napoli have been doing pretty well this term under Maurizio Sarri, but two defeats in last three games on all fronts could prove quite costly.

The Azzurri missed a chance to surprise Champions League holders Real Madrid on the road, as they suffered a 3-1 loss in the first leg despite taking the lead through Lorenzo Insigne.

And while they did well to return to winning ways against Chievo, Napoli saw their Serie A title bid go in smoke as they were beaten at home by ten-man Atalanta.

It’s now backing to the drawing board for Maurizio Sarri, who will see the Coppa Italia clash against Juventus as the final opportunity to stay in contention for a major trophy.

Lorenzo Tonelli and Allan look set to miss out yet again, but there will be some changes to the starting line-up as Arkadiusz Milik, Leonardo Pavoletti and Emanuele Giaccherini are pushing for starts.

Probable starting line-up (4-3-3): Reina – Hysaj, Koulibaly, Albiol, Strinic – Zielinski, Diawara, Hamsik – Callejon, Milik, Insigne.

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