Juventus Season 2015-2016

[Socrates 8522]

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

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MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

History suggests Juventus and Roma
cannot win Serie A title

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/italian-serie-a/story/2630479/history-suggests-juventus-and-roma-cannot-win-serie-a-title?

 
Sep 25, 2015

Juventus and Roma may as well give up hope of winning the Serie A title this season after just five matches, according to a study by Tuttosport.

Defending champions Juve have picked up just five points from their first five games of the season. Never in the last 20 years -- since three points have been awarded for a win, and not considering the 2005-06 Calciopoli scandal season -- have a team recovered from such a start to win the Scudetto.

In fact, Juve have even more to be concerned about after making their worst start to a season since 1970. According to the statistics for the past two decades, Juve would have to do something which has never been done before to qualify for the Champions League next season.

The prospects are not much better for Roma, who have picked up three points more than Juve in their first five games, and enjoyed a 2-1 win over the Bianconeri.

They have only a five percent chance of winning the title this season based on just one precedent in the past 20 years -- set by Allegri when he was in charge of AC Milan in 2010-11. They managed to win the title despite picking up just eight points from their first five matches.

The Giallorossi did go close to winning the title in 2009-10 when they had only seven points at this stage, missing out only on the final day of the season to Roberto Mancini's Inter Milan.

Mancini can be confident of winning another Serie A title this season given his side's perfect start to the season, on the other hand. Only Roma in 2013-14 and again last year failed to win the title after starting with five straight wins, while Inter had 11, 11, 10 and 13 points respectively in their previous four Scudetto triumphs, up to 2010.

Roma do at least still have hope of playing in the Champions League next season, and not necessarily by winning it this term. In the past 20 seasons, one of the teams finishing inside the top three has started with eight or fewer points after five games nearly eight times. However, only four times have they managed to finish second.

Inter face second-placed Fiorentina this weekend while Juventus head to Napoli, who have just one point more from their first five matches in what has been an anomalous campaign so far for the sides who have finished in the top three in the past two seasons. Roma will be hoping for three points when they host winless Carpi on Saturday.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8522]

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

Orsato to ref Napoli-Juve

http://www.football-italia.net/73459/orsato-ref-napoli-juve?

 
Sep 25, 2015

Referee Daniele Orsato will take charge of Saturday’s Serie A showdown between Napoli and Juventus at the San Paolo.

Sunday’s big game between Inter and Fiorentina will be overseen by Antonio Damato, while the experienced Paolo Tagliavento is in charge of Milan’s trip to Genoa.


Referees for Week 6

Roma-Carpi: Massimiliano Irrati

Napoli-Juventus: Daniele Orsato

Genoa-Milan: Paolo Tagliavento

Verona-Lazio: Piero Giacomelli

Bologna-Udinese: Andrea Gervasoni

Sassuolo-Chievo: Michael Fabbri

Torino-Palermo: Maurizio Mariani

Inter-Fiorentina: Antonio Damato

Frosinone-Empoli: Marco Guida

Atalanta-Sampdoria: Paolo Valeri

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8522]

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

Max Allegri press conference roundup: Álvaro Morata
returns, Martin Cáceres still out injured

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2015/9/25/9396779/juventus-napoli-max-allegri-martin-caceres-alvaro-morata-serie-a-round-6

 
Sep 25, 2015

Outside of Juventus dropping points at nearly every turn so far this season, the most consistent thing we've seen from the four-time defending Serie A champions is the fact that injuries are happening all around us. Pulled hamstring here, quad muscle strain there. It's been a relatively routine task to read about somebody dealing with something in the hours following a Juventus match.

Álvaro Morata has been one of those players who has felt the early-season wrath of the injury bug. There was the preseason injury, then the early-game substitution against Genoa last weekend. It hasn't been a season with any kind of luck for Juventus, and that's certainly the case for Morata as well.

But after missing Juventus' 1-1 draw with Frosinone midweek, Juventus manager Max Allegri has announced at his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon that Morata — who scored the game-winning goal in fine fashion against Manchester City a few weeks back — has returned from brief injury absence and will be available for selection when Juve face Napoli Saturday night.

JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen
.@OfficialAllegri: "@AlvaroMorata is available for #NapoliJuve."

Good news! It's good news for once!

Having Morata back in the fold will be an obvious boost to a squad — and group of strikers — that is clearly in need of something right now. If Morara wasn't fully fit, Juventus would be going into their trip to Naples with only Paulo Dybala and Simone Zaza as the only healthy strikers available to Allegri. It's one thing to have that happen against Frosinone, it's another thing to have no options whatsoever against a team like Napoli.

Now we wait and see if Morata's availability results in Allegri putting him right back into the starting lineup when Juve face Napoli. And, in turn, if Morata is available to start, what formation will Juventus field because of it. Then again, there's an answer for that in just a couple of seconds here, so why wait? Let's just go ahead and get straight to the point.

Other things of note during Allegri's pre-match press conference:

With both Stephan Lichtsteiner and Martin Cáceres still out with their respective ills, Allegri said it's either Simone Padoin at right back or back to the tried and trusted BBC three-man backline from the opening kickoff. (I have a feeling this will certainly result in plenty of pro-Padoin supporters coming out of the woodwork once again. Or, more than likely, maybe even some kind of reasoning as to why using a 3-5-2 actually makes sense with the current injury situation.)

Allegri has laid out a timetable for the (almost) return of Cáceres and some of the other injured players. Cáceres will return in time to face Sevilla next week, while midfielders Sami Khedira and Claudio Marchisio will be back training with the full squad next week and after the international break, respectively. Boy oh boy do they need Marchisio back as soon as humanly possible right now.

During a week where Juventus will be facing Napoli and Sevilla within a few days of one another, Allegri is preaching calmness from his players. That sounds like a good idea. I also suggest staying calm when having a goal-scoring opportunity instead of blasting the shot over the goal by 20 yards.

Allegri described Simone Zaza and Paulo Dybala's performances against Frosinone as "decent." I wouldn't exactly call that a ringing endorsement for either of the two young strikers.

"Crisis? In terms of results, but not performances. It's the performances that will lead us to gain these results." So says Max. What say you?

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8522]

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

Napoli vs. Juventus: Team News, Predicted Lineups

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2571712-napoli-vs-juventus-team-news-predicted-lineups-live-stream-tv-info?

 
Sep 25, 2015

Juventus travel south this weekend, with a tough encounter against Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo awaiting them. Having once again dropped points in a disappointing midweek draw with Frosinone, it is imperative the Bianconeri deliver a positive result in this important clash.

While their most recent outing—reviewed in detail here—saw signs of improvement from Massimilano Allegri’s men, they now have just five points from five Serie A matches in 2015/16.

OptaPaolo ✔ @OptaPaolo
0 - Juventus have picked-up 5 points from the first 5 MD of this campaign, a Club's negative record in Serie A with 3 points for a win. Odd.

Conceding in the 91st minute left the coach infuriated, and he had no hesitation explaining his opinion as he addressed the performance in his post-match press conference.

“I’m angry because we must improve quickly,” Allegri said per the club’s official website. “At this moment we’re shipping goals from the first opportunity that falls our opponents’ way, you simply cannot concede from a corner with two minutes remaining.”

It was clear that message was received by the players too, with Mario Lemina telling JTV (h/t the Juventus website) that they must learn from their mistakes and that “everyone needs to stand up and be counted.”

The same is true of Napoli, however, with Maurizio Sarri seeing his team held to a 0-0 by Carpi just days after a five-goal demolition of Lazio. “The team is alive and kicking,” the coach told Mediaset Premium on Wednesday (h/t Football Italia) and he will want to further evidence of that against a much more difficult opponent.

Juventus have lost just two of their last six visits to the San Paolo, outscoring Napoli by 12 goals to seven, while the games have been ill-tempered affairs. According to WhoScored.com, those matches saw no fewer than 31 yellow cards, and that pattern is almost certain to continue.


Predicted Formations



Napoli (4-3-3)

Pepe Reina; Elseid Hysaj, Raul Albiol, Kalidou Koulibaly, Faouzi Ghoulam; Allan, Jorginho, Marek Hamsik; Dries Mertens, Gonzalo Higuain, Lorenzo Insigne

Unavailable: None


Juventus (4-3-1-2)

Gigi Buffon; Simone Padoin, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Patrice Evra, Mario Lemina, Hernanes, Paul Pogba; Juan Cuadrado; Paulo Dybala, Alvaro Morata

Unavailable: Mario Mandzukic, Sami Khedira, Kwadwo Asamoah, Claudio Marchisio, Stephan Lichtsteiner (all injured)


Player to Watch

Looking for a player to watch, it is perhaps Paulo Dybala who Juventus will lean on heavily at the Stadio San Paolo. The Argentinian star has been one of their few consistent performers in 2015/16, and injuries to the club’s other strikers mean his performance against Napoli will be even more important.

Dybala has made just two starts in Serie A, even sitting out on Wednesday night against Frosinone despite the Bianconeri missing both Mario Mandzukic and Alvaro Morata with knocks.

“We are not expecting Dybala to be the main man right away this season,” the latter told Tuttosport this week (h/t BeIn Sports), but the team will depend upon him here. The player himself will hope to add to his impressive tally, having netted three goals in four appearances for his new club.


Key Battle

The matchup most likely to decide this encounter will come down the Napoli left, the area where Lorenzo Insigne has largely operated this term. The local-born attacking midfielder has seen his form reinvigorated under Maurizio Sarri’s guidance, and has arguably been the club’s best player thus far.

Insigne has netted two goals while adding two assists in the opening five games of the season, causing opponents constant problems as he drifts around the pitch. Keeping an eye on him will be a major factor for the Bianconeri, at a time when their right-back spot is one where they are particularly suffering.

Martin Caceres has missed the past few weeks with injury, and this week saw Stephan Lichtsteiner admitted to hospital with breathing difficulties. According to the official Juventus website, “it is unlikely that he will be available” to face Napoli, and whoever is tasked with marshalling Insigne will have a tough evening.


Odds (via Odds Shark)

Away win: 83-50

Home win: 33-20

Draw: 227-100

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8522]

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

Allegri Not Disappointed With
Performances Despite Slow Start

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2015/09/juventus-coach-not-disappointed-with-performances-despite-slow-start/?

 
Sep 25, 2015

Massimiliano Allegri has claimed Juventus have played well despite their poor run of results.

Juve find themselves in 13th place in Serie A with five points from five games and face Napoli at the weekend who have one point more than their rivals, but Allegri is not worried about his team’s slow start to the season.

“Juventus are in a crisis with results, but not with performances. We have time to climb back up the table,” Allegri told reporters at this pre match press conference.

“There’s definitely something that isn’t working, we must be calm and composed during a match.

“It’s not a decisive game against Napoli, but this is a very important week for us.

“There isn’t any aspect of the team that has let me down. We have deserved four or five more points but that is football.”

Allegri then went onto speak about what Juventus can do to improve.

“Last year people were sceptical about my arrival, only results and what happens on the pitch matter,” Allegri continued.

“Actions speak louder than words in difficult times. We need to focus only getting the right results going forward.

“Criticism is part and parcel of my job. I’m convinced we will do well as I know what this team is capable of achieving.

“At Christmas I’ll tell you where Juventus can finish, we’ll definitely have a different position in the table by then.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8522]

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

Napoli and Juventus search for
consistency as Inter set Serie A pace

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/italian-serie-a/12/blog/post/2630630/napoli-and-juventus-search-for-consistency-as-inter-set-pace?

 
Sep 25, 2015

Shortly after Frosinone clinched a historic promotion to Serie A last season, their centre-back Leonardo Blanchard decided to take a last-minute holiday with a couple of friends.

It was a road trip so Blanchard bought supplies -- beer, water and McDonald's -- before they set off one night from Grosseto. Their destination? Berlin.

After a 13-hour drive, Blanchard and his mates found themselves in Alexanderplatz at 2pm on the day of the Champions League final. They had come to support Juventus and, upon meeting up with a supporters' group from Orbetello, they spent the afternoon "eating, drinking and singing at the top of our lungs."

At the Olympiastadion that evening Blanchard posted a selfie in the Juventus end, where he sat with the Viking Juve 1986 ultras.

"When Alvaro Morata scored [to make it 1-1] we covered ourselves in beer and hugged each other," he told Il Corriere dello Sport. "It was bedlam." At the end of the game, Blanchard watched a defeated Juventus come over to salute their fans.

"I dreamt of playing against them," Blanchard revealed. Not only did he get to do that, the 27-year-old also scored in Turin on Wednesday night. His 91st-minute equaliser clinched Frosinone their first-ever point in Serie A and, of all places, it came at the home of the Italian champions, his team.

"It all seems like a joke now that it's happened," Blanchard explained to La giornalaccio rosa dello Sport. "But it's all true."

He got Paul Pogba's shirt as a memento. "For a Juventus fan like me, the No. 10 shirt has great sentimental value. I never got Del Piero's so I asked Pogba for his at the end of the game. He was a little angry. We gave each other some on the pitch and he was the one supposed to mark me on the goal. But he was then very nice."

One imagines Blanchard would have been more conflicted if his header had condemned Juventus to defeat. Perhaps it might have done. Frosinone should have had a penalty earlier in the game when Andrea Barzagli stopped Alessandro Frara's shot from going in with a hand.

The result was the latest disappointment for Juventus and questions are being tentatively asked of Max Allegri. Injuries to Morata and Mario Mandzukic made perplexing the manager's decision to again leave €32m signing Paulo Dybala out of the starting lineup. Allegri gradually introduced Morata last season but, without Carlos Tevez to take care of business while Dybala learns the ropes, Juventus' current circumstances are different.

Hernanes' absence from the kickoff also raised eyebrows, particularly given he did so well in the "Andrea Pirlo role" at Man City in the Champions League and then didn't feature against Genoa. Still, it wasn't like Juventus struggled to control and create vs. Frosinone. They had 64 percent possession and Pogba and Simone Zaza hit the bar. In all, Juve took 36 attempts on goal -- their most in one game for 10 years.

After Zaza opened the scoring, Juventus couldn't kill the game. Nor could they manage their lead and that was what really upset Allegri. Thirty seconds or so before Blanchard scored, Juventus had a corner of their own. Instead of holding onto the ball and running down the clock, though, Dybala went on a mazy dribble and shot wide.

Juan Cuadrado had done something similar against City, provoking a furious reaction from Allegri. On that occasion Juventus weren't punished for giving the ball back to their opponents. This time they were.

When you're young, you make mistakes and Wednesday's team, with an average age of 26 years and three months -- two years younger than the one that beat Genoa -- paid for its inexperience.

Juventus dropped six points at home in the last two seasons. This term, in games against Udinese, Chievo and Frosinone, they have already dropped eight. "At the moment we're a team that can beat anyone and lose to anyone," Allegri smarted.

Next for the defending champions is a trip on Saturday night to Napoli, who themselves are something of a Jekyll-and-Hyde team. After winning 5-0 in back-to-back games against Club Brugge and Lazio, Napoli most recently were involved in the first 0-0 of the Serie A season against top-flight debutantes Carpi.

By contrast to Juventus, where the glass is half empty at the moment, particularly as Stephane Lichtsteiner has joined Claudio Marchisio, Sami Khedira and Kwadwo Asamoah on the sidelines, it's half full with Napoli.

After their slowest start since 2000, the influence of new coach Maurizio Sarri is beginning to be seen. Unlike Rafa Benitez, he has compromised on his system of choice -- the 4-3-1-2 -- and opted for a 4-3-3 which better suits the players at his disposal.

Sarri has calibrated the team nicely. The return of left-back Faouzi Ghoulam has allowed Elseid Hysaj to go back to his flank of preference, the right. Both get forward in sync and are fine crossers of the ball. Misused under Benitez, Jorginho has been positioned at the heart of a midfield trio rather than in a tandem and is finally beginning to show his Hellas Verona form as a deep-lying playmaker. He has lifted the tempo of Napoli's passing game.

You might say Allan has also been key. The midfielder led the league in tackles last season but, since joining Napoli in the summer, has already scored more league goals for his new team -- two -- than he did in 104 games for Udinese. His assist for Manolo Gabbiadini, as Napoli took revenge on Lazio for knocking them out of Champions League contention at the end of last season, was a vertical pass behind the defence that few believed he had in his locker.

Napoli's midfield now has a lovely balance to it. Further forward, Lorenzo Insigne has been in scintillating form and must be the most exciting player in the league at the moment. His defence-splitting pass for Gonzalo Higuain vs. Lazio received the rosa perla -- "pink pearl" from La giornalaccio rosa, an award for the best piece of skill on a matchday.

The firepower of this team, as personified by Higuain, has long been its strength, while the defence has been a weakness. But Sarri's drone analysis -- he films the back line, its shape and its movements from the sky -- has obviously had an effect. A hat trick of clean sheets represents the most encouraging improvement on the Benitez era.

Saturday's game is a delicate one for both Napoli and Juventus. Neither can afford to lose. Napoli are nine points adrift of leaders Inter and Juve are 10 behind. It's still early and there's a long way to go but making up that distance already looks like a challenge.

With five straight wins, this is Inter's best start since 1966. They're on maximum points but, after coming through the Milan derby two weekends ago, on Sunday they face their biggest test: a top-of-the-table clash with Fiorentina.

They too have not come out of the blocks this fast in many a year. Not since 1998. to be precise. Back then they were crowned winter champions only for Gabriel Batistuta to get injured and Edmundo to go AWOL at the Rio carnival.

So the question is: might this be the day Inter finally slip up? Napoli and Juventus had better hope so; Roma too. But all must also take care of their own business. Otherwise, they risk Inter running away with it.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8522]

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

Sarri: ‘Juventus more than a game’

http://www.football-italia.net/73468/sarri-%E2%80%98juventus-more-game%E2%80%99?

 
Sep 25, 2015

Maurizio Sarri admits Napoli-Juventus “goes beyond the table”, but doesn’t see himself or Max Allegri as being under pressure.

The Partenopei welcome their great rivals to San Paolo tomorrow, with both teams struggling for form in the early weeks of the season.

“We’re talking about a match played in September, so I don’t think anyone is at risk,” Sarri mused in his pre-match Press conference.

“Tomorrow’s game, for me, isn’t important for the table, it’s a special game, and I know how important this match is for Neapolitans.

“I hope I can convey to my players how important this match is for all the Napoli fans. With Juventus it’s a match that goes beyond the mere fact of the table.

“If you look at the reality, at the moment this is a mid-table clash.

“They’re coming off an amazing cycle, so we can’t think that our goals are the same as Juventus. We’ve started on a new path since the summer, it takes time.

“They still played well against Frosinone, they were just unlucky.

“Am I excited? If I got excited every time you told me to, I’d pass out!

“Of course, as I’ve said, it’s a special game, and I hope to make our fans happy, as it means so much to them.

“Our intention is to control the game, and Juve will try to do the same. We’ll see who can dominate the pitch.”

The Vesuviani drew with newly-promoted Carpi in midweek, but the former Empoli boss doesn’t feel his side played badly.

“Carpi caused us problems, because they didn’t give us any space, but I still saw a good team. They didn’t lose their heads, they stayed calm until the end.

“There are some games where you can’t make the breakthrough. Sometimes you risk losing those games.

“The data shows that the team had their best result of the season from a physical point of view.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8522]

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

Sarri: ‘Juventus not in crisis’

http://www.football-italia.net/73469/sarri-%E2%80%98juventus-not-crisis%E2%80%99?

 
Sep 25, 2015

Napoli Coach Maurizio Sarri warns “we’re in trouble if we consider Juventus as a team in crisis”.

The Bianconeri have taken just five points from their opening five games of the season, and face the Vesuviani at San Paolo tomorrow on the back of a draw with Frosinone.

“We’re in trouble if we consider Juventus as a team in crisis,” Sarri cautioned in his pre-match Press conference.

“They did badly in the first two games, it can happen. Let’s remember that they beat Manchester City in their own stadium.

“Talking about the League being over at this stage is absurd. Juve have shown that they can win 10 games in a row, Inter haven’t.

“They’ve won games, but they’ve yet to show they can last the pace. Juventus, however, have provided plenty of evidence they can put together long winning runs.

“As for ourselves, we just have to work and grow. We’ll understand further down the line how far we can go.

“Both teams have taken four points in the last two games, that doesn’t seem like a negative return.

“Tomorrow isn’t a normal game, so I’d like to see something extraordinary."

The former Empoli Coach was asked what team he would deploy for tomorrow, but was in no mood to give anything away

“The final decision will be made in the next few hours. I definitely think this team needs consistency, so we’ll have to rely on those who have been playing more.

“We can put the others on later, which might also be necessary for physical reasons.

“Juan Cuadrado? I’m thinking more about what we’ll do. I might give him the eye if I see him on the wing!

“We’ll see where Allegri plays him.”

No Bianconeri fans will be allowed into the stadium for this match, and the Partenopei Coach admits he disagrees with the decision.

“I disagree, punishments should be for individuals,” Sarri explained.

“If there are any criminals, they should be arrested. Everyone else should be allowed into the stadium - the only thing they’ve done wrong is supporting Juventus!

“I don’t think we lacked motivation against Carpi, but I hope tomorrow the team is in tune with the city, and understands the importance of this match.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8522]

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

Napoli - Juventus Betting: Expect excitement
when Allegri's men visit the Stadio San Paolo

With the Bianconeri struggling to rediscover their watertight defensive strength and
Maurizio Sarri's team in prolific form, Al Hain-Cole is predicting a high-scoring match.

http://www.goal.com/en-za/news/4563/main/2015/09/25/15722052/-?

 
Sep 25, 2015

Both Napoli and Juventus will be hoping to kick-start their faltering Serie A campaigns when they come face-to-face at the Stadio San Paolo on Saturday.

Having secured their first win of the season in style by beating Lazio 5-0 last weekend, the Partenopei were held at newly-promoted Carpi in midweek, but are favourites with bet365 to return to winning ways here.

Meanwhile, the champions presented rock-bottom Frosinone with their first ever top flight point in Wednesday’s 1-1 disappointing home draw, but are available at to come out on top in this one.

The hosts have drawn three of their last four matches in the league, and there are odds of available on them settling for a point once again this time out.

After looking like getting their season back on track following victory over Manchester City in the Champions League and a first league win of the campaign against Genoa last weekend, the stalemate against Frosinone came as a particularly bitter blow for Massimiliano Allegri’s team.

While his side missed a number of chances to kill off their modest opposition, it was the poor defending that most disappointed Allegri, who accused his team of "shipping goals from the first opportunity that falls the way of our opponents."

They will be in particular trouble should this trait continue at the Stadio San Paolo, where Maurizio Sarri’s team have scored 12 goals in their three home matches so far this season.

Considering last season’s two league meetings between the sides produced eight goals between them, the current form of these two clubs suggests odds of are not to be missed on over 2.5 being scored in an open encounter.

That bet would have paid out in five of Napoli’s last six matches, as well as two of Juventus’s last three away from home.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8522]

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

Napoli v Juventus: Preview

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/italian-serie-a/match/432214/napoli-juventus/preview?

 
Sep 25, 2015

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has criticised his side's midweek performance against Frosinone and demanded a drastic improvement on Saturday at Napoli.

The Italian champions were held to a 1-1 home draw by the league debutants on Wednesday evening and have clinched five points from their opening five games.

Juve gave away a last-gasp equaliser to settle for a point against Frosinone and Allegri is hoping Saturday's game can be a turning point for his struggling team.

"We've dropped points so far when perhaps we deserved more but all the same, we need to improve and start defending better," Allegri said on his club's official website. "Wins are the only thing missing.

What the players have shown on the field so far, for me, deserved four or five more points.

These are young players with excellent potential and soon they will learn to manage games better as previous Juventus sides have done so well."

Juve are 13th in the standings, 10 points adrift of league leaders Inter Milan.

Inter have won all five games so far.

"It's still too early to say what the table will look like come May," Allegri said. "For now, we have plenty of time to dust ourselves off, start moving forward as a team and pick up victories."

Victory on Saturday would be a big boost in confidence ahead of a challenging week.

Juve host last season's Europa League winners Sevilla in the Champions League on Wednesday before Bologna visit four days later prior to the international break.

"It's a very important week with Napoli, Sevilla and Bologna on the horizon," Allegri said. "We need to approach these games with clear heads.

If we stay calm and play our own game we'll soon be back in the position that we expect of ourselves."

Juve welcome back Spanish forward Alvaro Morata, who sat out Wednesday's game with a muscular problem.

Martin Caceres, Claudio Marchisio, Sami Khedira and Mario Mandzukic are all out injured.

Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is expected to returning to action against Napoli having been rested in midweek.

Like Juve, Napoli also seek their second league win of the campaign on Saturday.

Napoli beat Lazio 5-0 last weekend but were held to a goalless draw by Serie A newcomers Carpi in midweek.

Azzurri coach Maurizio Sarri, whose side is one place and one point clear of Juve, is focusing on the positives.

"We failed to score (against Carpi) but I am happy with the performance," he said on his club's official website. "We were solid and we didn't give anything away.

We are on the right path.

Now we look ahead to Juve at the San Paolo, looking to be at our best in that game."

Napoli have not beaten Juve at home in Serie A since March 2014.

Argentinian forward Gonzalo Higuain will lead Napoli's attack alongside Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne.

Higuain is Napoli's leading scorer in the league with four goals.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

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MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

De Laurentiis: Napoli On Right Path Ahead
Of Important Juventus Clash

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2015/09/de-laurentiis-napoli-on-right-path-ahead-of-important-juventus-clash/?

 
Sep 25, 2015

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis believes that the Azzurri are on the right path to success as they prepare to face Juventus at the San Paolo on Saturday.

Both sides have won just one Serie A game this term, with the Partenopei sitting one point ahead of the reigning Italian champions in the league standings, but the 66-year-old insists that he has seen a steady improvement in his side, pointing out the fact that they have kept clean sheets in their past three games in all competitions.

De Laurentiis spoke to Radio Kiss Kiss about the important game against Juventus in Naples and commented on the time it will take for Napoli to fully find their form.

“The match between Napoli and Juventus is the mother of all games and we care about it a lot,” said the Azzurri chief.

“Just the fact that we haven’t conceded a goal in our last three games shows me that we’re on the right path.

“It all takes time. We have seven new players and we haven’t sold our most precious players, even though teams have offered millions for them.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

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MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

Morata in Juventus squad

http://www.football-italia.net/73476/morata-juventus-squad?

 
Sep 25, 2015

Alvaro Morata is in the Juventus squad for tomorrow’s match against Napoli.

The Spaniard went off injured during the win over Genoa last weekend, and played no part in Wednesday’s draw with Frosinone.

However, the striker has been named among the Bianconeri squad for the trip to San Paolo, with Kwadwo Asamoah also in the travelling party.

Mario Mandzukic and Sami Khedira are still not fit enough to be involved.


Juventus squad to face Napoli:

Buffon, Chiellini, Zaza, Morata, Pogba, Hernanes, Alex Sandro, Barzagli, Cuadrado, Lemina, Bonucci, Padoin, Dybala, Asamoah, Rugani, Neto, Sturaro, Evra, Pereyra, Audero.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

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MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

Zoff: ‘Napoli-Juventus a delicate match’

http://www.football-italia.net/73479/zoff-%E2%80%98napoli-juventus-delicate-match%E2%80%99?

 
Sep 25, 2015

Dino Zoff calls tomorrow’s Napoli-Juventus came “delicate” with both sides having poor starts.

The former goalkeeper played for both clubs, winning six Scudetti with the Bianconeri, as well as lifting the 1982 World Cup with Italy.

“It will be a good game, but extremely delicate for both teams, given the slip-ups this season,” Zoff predicted, speaking to Tuttomercatoweb.

“It will be an important match, whoever wins can get themselves out of a delicate situation. There isn’t a team going into it better, or as favourites.

“Napoli are doing well lately, and Juventus too, the Frosinone game aside, they had great games like against [Manchester] City or at Genoa.

“Juventus have changed a lot this summer, but the players have technique and personality. It’s normal to expect a settling-in period for the new lads.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

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MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

Napoli V Juventus – Preview: Bianconeri
Scrambling For Ripcord To Save Season

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2015/09/napoli-v-juventus-preview-bianconeri-scrambling-for-ripcord-to-save-season/?

 
Sep 25, 2015

Juventus travel to Naples for a tricky test against Napoli on Saturday evening in Serie A.

Despite this being a mid-table clash, the importance and seriousness of this fixture is huge especially with only one point separating them – Juventus are in 13th place while Napoli sit in 12th place in the league table.

While Napoli have been a bit inconsistent, Juventus have been shockingly poor. Winning this clash would serve as the ultimate morale booster for the upcoming games and also sooth many disgruntled fans.

Ever since the start of the campaign, things have gone from bad to worse for the away side. The Bianconeri have won only one game so far in the league and the 1-1 draw against 20th place Frosinone midweek further increased the speculation about coach Massimiliano Allegri’s future.

And although Napoli have also bagged all three points just once this season, they are slightly better off in terms of confidence and momentum as the home side are yet to taste defeat following their 2-1 loss to Sassuolo in the opening week.

One of Bianconeri’s biggest worries will be scoring goals – Allegri’s men have netted only five times. However, Allegri will take some positives from the fact that new loan signing Juan Cuadrado has settled in quickly and he could be an important catalyst in helping Juventus score.

In this regard, Napoli are in safe hands with coach Maurizio Sarri. His direct approach to the game has been well translated onto the pitch, with the Partenopei having scored 10 goals over the past 3 matches, in all competitions.

Another cause for concern for the Old Lady is their defence – well known for its tenacity and solidarity – that has kept only one clean sheet so far. They will have to be extra cautious when they line up against Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain, who already has four goals to his name.

Napoli have definitely improved in defence – no goals conceded in the last two league games – and Sarri will be more than happy to welcome back a rejuvenated Lorenzo Insigne, who has looked in fine form since the turn of the new season.

Due to a thigh injury sustained against Genoa last week, Bianconeri centre forward Mario Madzukic is ruled out of this clash while his partner upfront, Alvaro Morata, remains a doubt. Other notable absentees include Kwadwo Asamoah, Sami Khedira and Claudio Marchisio.

On the other hand, the home side have the opportunity to field a full-strength line up as they are without any injuries or suspensions to deal with.

Form Guide: Napoli (D-D-W-W-D) Juventus (L-D-W-W-D)


Expected Starting XIs

Napoli: Reina; Ghoulam, Koulibaly, Albiol, Hysaj; Hamsik, Jorginho, Allan; Insigne, Higuain, Mertens

Juventus: Buffon; Chiellini, Barzagli, Bonucci; Evra, Pogba, Hernanes, Lemina, Cuadrado; Dybala, Morata

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

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MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

NAPOLI V JUVENTUS MATCH PREVIEW

http://www.juvefc.com/napoli-v-juventus-match-preview-scouting-report-2/?

 
Sep 25, 2015
 

Juventus

How frustrating was the Frosinone game? Just as Juventus take two step towards in terms of performance, which was really dominating, they make a triple backflip from the results standpoint because they did not close the game despite having plenty of chances. The two main takeaways is that Juventus are struggling to score, but I think it is an aberrations, and that they can not afford to take the foot off the gas because they are not at the point where they are able of managing games. Solving this will take time.

The squad has collected only two points at the Juventus Stadium against Udinese, Chievo Verona and Frosinone: it is not only extremely worrying, it is also almost unintelligible. The team dropped ten point behind Inter: the gap has yet to become unbridgeable, but it is widening a little too quickly.

Juventus need a convincing and commanding performance in Serie A as they face Napoli, another top team that is sort of struggling. You may remind that the trip to Naples has been a turning point for Juventus twice in recent years. Last season, Juventus snapped a ten-year drought and held off Roma’s attempt of a comeback just as it looked like Rudi Garcia’s side was ready to take the lead. Three seasons ago, Antonio Conte forged his famous 3-5-2 against Walter Mazzarri’s Napoli and they came back from 3-1 to 3-3, showing for the first time the great character of that team that finished the season undefeated and surprisingly beat Milan in the Scudetto race.

3-5-2 could return in this game, mainly because of the paucity of right backs. Stephan Lichtsteiner was hospitalized after the last match due to breathing difficulties, he has been discharged but it is a situation that needs to be sorted out taking all the necessary precautions. Martin Caceres is out with a minor muscular injury. The worst part is that this choice could literally decide the game as Lorenzo Insigne has been on fire on that flank as of late. The only option is Simone Padoin, who has been basically buried at the end of the bench after the two horrid performances as deep-lying midfielder against Udinese and Roma. Of course he was not the reason why we lost, but I do not see how the coach thought that would work. The other solution would be to ditch the four-man defense and have Andrea Barzagli guard that part of the field, which is usually a good idea. giornalaccio rosa is reporting that Alex Sandro could be used on the right flank, but they have made many bizarre suggestions on the Juventus lineup in the recent weeks.

If Massimiliano Allegri do opts for 3-5-2, I really hope he does not use both Padoin and Patrice Evra, because the formation would be way too defensive, and that he fields at least one between Juan Cuadrado and Alex Sandro, but I am not optimistic my wish will be granted because he tends to have a conservative approach. Hernanes should regain his spot in the heart of the midfield, with Paul Pogba on his left and either Mario Lemina or Stefano Sturaro on his right. If Lemina was chosen to be the pivot, which would be perfectly fine, at that point Roberto Pereyra would have a solid chance to start at CM in order to maintain a certain offensive/defensive balance. In the attack, it looks like Alvaro Morata is fit and slated to play from the get-go, with either Paulo Dybala or Simone Zaza on his side. I have a suspicion that Allegri likes having Dybala come off the bench, so Zaza is slightly the favourite. The alternatives are a 4-3-2-1 with Cuadrado and Pereyra supporting Morata and the 4-3-3 seen against Manchester City, with probably Zaza as centre-forward.


Probable lineup 3-5-2

Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Cuadrado, Lemina, Hernanes, Pogba, Evra; Morata, Zaza.


Injuries:

Khedira (thigh), Asamoah (knee), Marchisio (thigh), Caceres (thigh), Lichtsteiner (breathing difficulties)


Suspended:

None


 

  Napoli

Napoli are having a tough transition to the new regime, the Maurizio Sarri era has not started as well as they hoped, as they have collected six points in five matches. Their sole win came in a resounding fashion against Lazio at San Paolo (5-0), while they have dropped points against Carpi (0-0), Empoili (2-2), Sampdoria (2-2 after they were up two-nil) and Sassuolo (1-2). Despite the bad misstep against the newly promoted side, their attack is superb and they have already scored ten goals, second best in Serie A, while their defense, which has conceded six goals, remains their Achilles heel.

Sarri has started the season relying on the 4-3-1-2 he mastered on Empoli, turning Lorenzo Insigne in a trequartista and Dries Mertens and Josè Maria Callejon into second-strikers. While the first experiment worked, the other two did not go very well. The coach switched to a more reasonable 4-3-3 in the game against Club Brugge and the team exploded with ten goals in two matches. 4-3-3 makes more sense because sometimes it is simply better to field the players in the position they are most comfortable playing in, but it is not yet perfect. Rafa Benitez’s 4-2-3-1 was really the best way to take advantage of the whole offensive arsenal and using Marek Hamsik as box-to-box midfielder is a waste because it takes a toll on his attacking game and anyway he does not offer much in the defensive phase. With the addition of Elseid Hysaj, Vlad Chiriches, Allan and Mirko Valdifiori, Napoli would be better than last year’s version even deploying the same tactic.

As for this match, Kalidou Koulibaly should have another chance to confirm his growth from the start, with the former Tottenham on the bench, like Christian Maggio. Jorginho should replace Valdifiori, who is struggling almightily in his new team and is not in ideal conditions yet. Callejon should complete the trident with Insigne and Gonzalo Higuain as Mertens did not deliver in the Carpi match where he was in the starting XI. I think that Mertens is a better player than Callejon, but both the Belgian winger and Insigne are ball-dominant players, while the Spaniard is more capable of playing off the others, an ability that has proven to be very useful over the years. Mertens works better as an alternative to Insigne than as a partner.

They do not play as well as last year’s peak Empoli, but they have already shown some quick and dangerous combinations upfront. Allan, who is not known for be a scoring threat, has already scored twice thanks to deadly cuts at the right moment. Higuain and Insigne, who is becoming quite an assist man, are handfuls for all defenses. On the other hand, their defense is generally very vulnerable and prone to blunders, even though they have kept a clean sheet for three straight games, and they play very tight so there should be plenty of room on the flanks.

Probable lineup 4-3-3

Reina; Hysaj, Albiol, Koulibaly, Ghoulam; Allan, Jorginho, Hamsik; Callejon, Higuain, Insigne.


Injuries:

None


Suspended:

None

 

Formation

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

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MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

Napoli V Juventus – Team News,
Tactics, Lineups And Predictions

http://www.thehardtackle.com/2015/napoli-v-juventus-team-news-tactics-lineups-and-predictions-1/?

 
Sep 25, 2015
 
A massive clash at the San Paolo on Saturday night sees two of Italian football giants go head to head, as Napoli host champions Juventus with both in need of a win. Napoli would fancy taking on the Old Lady at this time of the season when the champions are struggling and are remotely in crisis. The Partenopei’s goal-laden run of form came to a screeching halt at Carpi in midweek. Since the arrival of manager Mauricio Sarri, Napoli have struggled to come to terms with his new tactics and have been inconsistent. Over the last three games however things have looked bright at both ends of the pitch with Pepe Reina recording three clean sheets on the spin.

The Old Lady’s midweek encounter with a newly promoted side hardly went to plan. A solid if unspectacular single-goal victory was turned on its head by self-confessed Juve fan Leonardo Blanchard’s injury-time equaliser for Frosinone. Injuries to attackers Alvaro Morata and Mario Mandzukic saw Simone Zaza pressed in to action alongside Paulo Dybala in midweek and the former Sassuolo man impressed, notching his first goal for the club and also hitting the bar.


Team news and tactics

Napoli

The biggest changes to Napoli’s line-up are in midfield, where new arrivals Allan and Mirko Valdifiori, bought from from Udinese and Empoli respectively, have replaced summer departures Gokhan Inler and Walter Gargano. Meanwhile, the signing of Nathaniel Chalobah, who joins on loan from Chelsea, will provide competition for places in central areas, as the England Under 21 international looks to gain valuable experience of playing abroad.

There are a couple of noteworthy additions also in defence: Romanian international centre-back Vlad Chiriches from Tottenham bolsters the backline, while right-back Elseid Hysaj is another ex-Empoli player to be teaming up with Sarri at the San Paolo. Between the sticks, Pepe Reina has returned after spending last season with Bayern Munich. The Partenopei are virtually unchanged up front, where they continue to have at their disposal a plethora of talented and technically-gifted forwards in Gonzalo Higuain, Dries Mertens, José Callejon, Manolo Gabbiadini and Lorenzo Insigne.


Probable Starting Line-up (4-3-3)

Reina; Hysaj, Albiol, Koulibaly, Ghoulam; Allan, Jorginho, Hamsik; Callejon, Higuain, Insigne

 

Juventus

The injury crisis surrounding Max Allegri’s squad shows no sign of improving, as Stephan Lichtsteiner is a major doubt having been withdrawn at half-time in midweek due to breathing difficulties. With long-term absentees Claudio Marchisio, Kwadwo Asamoah and Sami Khedira all still absent, Allegri’s options are at a premium, which makes the emergence in midfield of Mario Lemina even more vital. A surprise inclusion against Genoa a fortnight ago, the on-loan Marseille man has impressed with his tenacity and understanding with Paul Pogba.

Having once again dropped points in a disappointing midweek draw with Frosinone, it is imperative the Bianconeri deliver a positive result in this important clash.Injuries to Morata and Mario Mandzukic made perplexing the manager’s decision to again leave €32m signing Paulo Dybala out of the starting lineup. Allegri gradually introduced Morata last season but, without Carlos Tevez to take care of business while Dybala settles, Juventus’ current circumstances are different. Hernanes’ absence from the kickoff also raised eyebrows, particularly given he did so well in the regista role at Man City in the Champions League and then didn’t feature against Genoa.


Probable Starting Line-up (4-3-3)

Buffon; Padoin, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra; Sturaro, Hernanes, Pogba; Cuadrado, Morata, Dybala


Key Facts

Napoli have won only one of their last nine Serie A games against Juventus (2-0 in March 2014).

Juve got the better of Napoli in both meetings last season, with the same scoreline (3-1).

The last eight meetings at the San Paolo though have seen the Old Lady winning only once, with five wins for the hosts.


Players to Watch Out For

Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli)

The local-born attacking midfielder has seen his form reinvigorated under Maurizio Sarri’s guidance, and has arguably been the club’s best player thus far.Insigne has netted two goals while adding two assists in the opening five games of the season, causing opponents constant problems as he drifts around the pitch. Keeping an eye on him will be a major factor for the Bianconeri, at a time when their right-back spot is one where they are particularly suffering.


Paulo Dybala (Juventus)

The Argentine has been one of the few consistent performers in 2015/16 for Juventus, and injuries to the club’s other strikers mean his performance against Napoli will be even more important.The player himself will hope to add to his impressive tally, having netted three goals in four appearances for his new club.


Prediction

Napoli 3-1 Juventus

Saturday’s game is a delicate one for both Napoli and Juventus. Neither can afford to lose. Napoli are nine points adrift of leaders Inter and Juve are 10 behind. It’s still early and there’s a long way to go but making up that distance already looks like a challenge.


Blast From the Past

Juventus finally ended their winning drought at San Paolo in Napoli after a good, quick response to an equalizer halfway through the second half.
 

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

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MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

Thuram: ‘Give Juventus time’

http://www.football-italia.net/73485/thuram-%E2%80%98give-juventus-time%E2%80%99?

 
Sep 25, 2015
 
Lilian Thuram is confident Juventus are still “at the top level” despite a difficult start to the season.

The former defender made over 200 appearances for the Bianconeri between 2001 and 2006, and gave his thoughts on the current vintage outside Spazio Bellevue.

“They’ve lost several very important players, and you have to give them time to start again with new players,” Thuram told assembled media.

“The Juve fans shouldn’t be afraid, because there are still a lot of great players, they’ve already won so much and they won well at Manchester City in the Champions League.

“That means the team is still at the top level.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

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MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

Max Allegri under pressure as Juventus
face must-win trip to Napoli

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/club/juventus/111/blog/post/2631018/juventus-and-max-allegri-feeling-pressure-for-napoli-trip?

 
Sep 25, 2015
 
Both sides are managed by Italians, boast wonderful quality and are expected to manage consecutive wins yet Napoli and Juventus have started the season in similar fashion, with disappointing results and poor performances in the matches that require comprehensive victories. On Saturday night, they will face each other in what is expected to be a sold-out San Paolo stadium and while it's too early to draw conclusions, both sets of fans need a win in order to continue to believe in their respective clubs' abilities.

For Juventus, a certain few have started to turn on Massimiliano Allegri. While the coach masterminded a difficult victory against the current Premier League champions in Manchester last week, he has struggled to find the right balance to collect the necessary points in the league. Coming off a wonderful year, Allegri has several injuries and too many inexperienced players to contend with but some fans are wondering if he has the personality required to develop youth and turn them into champions, much like his predecessor did before him.

Some might consider Allegri a better tactician than Antonio Conte and he does his best work when managing experienced professionals. This is a man who can perfect tactics, inspires fluidity and has enough leadership to guide a strong team in Europe. However, he's perhaps not the man who can build the foundations or change a side's mentality; right now, Juve need a disciplinarian, an authority figure at the top of the food chain who will demand grit and determination.

It was that quality that drew praise from Maurizio Sarri last season. The current Partenopei coach realised that the difference between the Bianconeri and every other good team in Serie A is their motivation. "When Empoli were playing the big teams, we tiptoed out onto the field; Juventus, however, would be screaming and shouting in the dressing room as if they were about to face Bayern Munich," said Sarri with a hint of admiration. "This is the mentality that Napoli are still lacking."

It would be unwise to give up on Allegri now as he's proved capable in the past and has his alibis but he must climb the Serie A ladder quickly or he will risk loading the players with extraordinary pressure. He must learn from his mistakes and he has little time to do so. While Sarri has noted the need for consistency, insisting that those who have played more will start, Allegri is still rotating far too often, robbing his squad off their ability to develop relationships with one another. It is difficult to maintain a fresh squad that has a packed schedule as well as ensuring chemistry but this is the challenge of coaching a footballing giant.

With Stephan Lichtsteiner out, Juve will have to find solutions on the right but the hope among fans is that Simone Padoin shouldn't start. With Martin Caceres also unavailable, this may force Allegri to deploy a 3-5-2 formation with Patrice Evra and Juan Cuadrado on either wing and Alvaro Morata in attack. Will Paulo Dybala ever be allowed to start or will the team's most expensive purchase be forced to wait again?

Strangely enough, this is the type of match in which Allegri may excel. Napoli won't simply stand by and focus on hindering the opponent. They want to win especially since they will be playing in front of their own fans; equally, Juve will be hoping that this passion leaves them with enough space at the back to finish off a few off their chances.

The problem is that this is also the type of match in which Napoli excel. Sarri's men have struggled to penetrate tight and strict defences as they are yet to understand how to create space and work around a well disciplined opponent. This might explain why they struggled against the likes of Carpi and Empoli but smashed a big, ambitious team like Lazio.

Therefore, it's reasonable to think that the sharper attack will win the game. Yet even there, both sides have shown weaknesses. Juventus have yet to find the right balance going forward with players demonstrating a variety of skills yet poor judgement, shooting everywhere and anywhere yet rarely on target while Napoli can also be guilty of individual play in the final third.

Considering the desire to win, this promises to be an excellent game between two sides that share the motivation to attack. In the last three matches played between the two sides in Stadio San Paolo, Juventus have only won once. Can they do it again?

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

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MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

Napoli v Juventus Preview:
Allegri demands improvement

After the Old Lady were held by Frosinone, the club's coach wants
to overcome a slow start to the season against Sarri's side.

http://www.goal.com/en/match/napoli-vs-juventus/2120432/preview

 
Sep 25, 2015

Massimiliano Allegri has revealed his disappointment at Juventus' lacklusture start to the season and wants to see an immediate improvement against Napoli on Saturday.

The Serie A champions were held to a 1-1 draw by rock-bottom Frosinone last time out, leaving them 10 points behind early leaders Inter following Leonardo Blanchard's last-gasp leveller.

It is the club's worst ever start to a top-flight season, with their woes alleviated only slightly by the Champions League victory over Manchester City.

"I'm angry because we must improve quickly," said Allegri, who is likely to be without Stephan Lichtsteiner after the Switzerland defender went off at half-time against Frosinone with breathing difficulties.

"We're shipping goals from the first opportunity that falls the way of our opponents. We keep trying to force the play in instances when we should be slowing things down.

"We've got a team full of youngsters who need to develop but we need to work to improve the team and bring it up to a certain level."

Napoli have endured a similarly mixed start, having taken just one point more than Allegri's men after been held by lowly Carpi last time out, after exploding into a 5-0 victory over Lazio.

Gonzalo Higuain has provided some highs for Maurizio Sarri's side his term, netting four times in Serie A.

But despite scoring two goals in Napoli's 5-0 thrashing of Lazio last weekend, Higuain has been left out of Argentina's squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay, with Juve's uncapped Paulo Dybala, who has netted three times in 2015-16, earning a call-up.

Napoli drew a blank against Carpi with wayward finishing ensuring their dominance of the ball counted for little, but Sarri was not concerned by his side's display.

"We failed to score but I am happy with the performance," he told Napoli's official website. "Now we look ahead to Juve at the San Paolo, so we train and prepare for this race to the best of our ability."

Juve and Napoli met three times last season, the former completing a league double but losing in the Super Cup on penalties.


OPTA FACTS

Napoli have won only one of their last nine Serie A games against Juventus (2-0 in March 2014).

Juve got the better of Napoli in both meetings last season, with the same scoreline (3-1).

The last eight meetings at the San Paolo though have seen the Old Lady winning only once, with five wins for the hosts.

Napoli have scored an average of 3.14 goals per game over their last seven home games in the league (22 in total).

Juve have picked-up only five points from the first five rounds of this campaign – a club negative record since three points have been awarded for a win (1994-95).

The last time Juve had won only one of their first five games of the season in Serie A was in 1984/85, when they finished 5th in the league.

The last time the Bianconeri had recorded a win, two losses and two draws after five match-days of a Serie A season was in 1970/71, when they went on to finish 4th in Serie A.

Massimiliano Allegri’s side have conceded goals in eight of their last nine league games.


LAST FIVE MATCHES

Napoli  D W W D D

9/23/15 - Carpi 0 - 0 Napoli
9/20/15 - Napoli 5 - 0 Lazio
9/17/15 - Napoli 5 - 0 Club Brugge
9/13/15 - Empoli 2 - 2 Napoli
8/30/15 - Napoli 2 - 2 Sampdoria


Juventus  D W W D L

9/23/15 - Juventus 1 - 1 Frosinone
9/20/15 - Genoa 0 - 2 Juventus
9/15/15 - Manchester City 1 - 2 Juventus
9/12/15 - Juventus 1 - 1 Chievo Verona
8/30/15 - Roma 2 - 1 Juventus


HEAD TO HEAD

5/23/15 - Juventus 3 - 1 Napoli
1/11/15 - Napoli 1 - 3 Juventus
12/22/14 - Juventus 2 - 2 Napoli
3/30/14 - Napoli 2 - 0 Juventus
11/10/13 - Juventus 3 - 0 Napoli

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8522]

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

Allegri: ‘Full group after break’

http://www.football-italia.net/73458/allegri-%E2%80%98full-group-after-break%E2%80%99

 
Sep 25, 2015
 
Juventus will have ‘a full group to choose from’ after the international break, according to Massimiliano Allegri.

The Coach also revealed that Simone Padoin could start in the place of the injured right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner against Napoli on Saturday evening.

“Caceres has been with us since Wednesday. Khedira will be with the group from Saturday and Claudio Marchisio is back after the break.

“Alvaro Morata will be available for Saturday and Padoin could play at right-back, he always does well when he plays.

“Zaza and Dybala both put in decent performances against Frosinone. We’re bitter about the result as we played well.

“After the international break, when I have a full group to choose from, we’ll have a lot more experience on the pitch. The value of the team hasn’t changed.

“Napoli are a great team, they’re one of the best equipped teams in attack and Sarri is doing good work there.

“We’ve dropped many points, also when we haven’t deserved to, but we need to work to improve.

“We must defend better and we need to concentrate more but enough with the comparisons to last year – it’s completely different.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8522]

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

Sarri: I Don’t Care About The Table,
I Just Want Napoli To Beat Juventus

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2015/09/sarri-i-dont-care-about-the-table-i-just-want-napoli-to-beat-juventus/?

 
Sep 25, 2015
 
Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri says he is not concerned by the shape of the league table at this early stage.

The season is five games old heading into this weekend, and the typically studious Partenopei boss knows that the league standings are subject to dramatic change, and is instead focused on putting opponents Juventus to the sword.

“To tell you the truth, I do not care about the league table,” said Sarri in his pre-match conference.

“Points aside, we have to play for something different,” he continued.

“I know how importantly the Napoli fans take this match, I know what’s behind it, and I hope to transmit it to the players.”

Former Empoli coach Sarri then went on to discuss Napoli’s philosophy ahead of the Saturday night fixture.

“Our intention is to play our game, always. An open game in which we take over with our high level of play.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8522]

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

Zoff: Anything Can Happen
Between Napoli And Juventus

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2015/09/zoff-anything-can-happen-between-napoli-and-juventus/?

 
Sep 25, 2015
 
Napoli and Juventus goalkeeping legend Dino Zoff has said that anything can happen when the two sides meet on Saturday.

The two clubs, accustomed to European football and regular top five finishes, are both currently languishing in the bottom half of the Serie A table as the season approaches matchday six, and their unpredictable form makes for an interesting matchup according to Zoff.

“You can not give a prediction,” said the 73-year-old to Radio Marte. “Napoli and Juventus this year are teams that are going from game to game with mixed results.

“Against Lazio, Napoli made a great impression while I saw great confusion the other night [against Carpi]”

Zoff also commented on whether anyone can challenge Serie A leaders Italy, who hold a perfect winning record.

“There are many contenders, but they must stop wasting points and find continuity.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8522]

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

Juventus vs. Napoli Preview: Round 6 —
Big game, big improvements?

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2015/9/26/9391063/napoli-juventus-2015-serie-a-round-6-preview-team-news-schedule

 
Sep 26, 2015
 
When Max Allegri called for "swift improvement" after the 1-1 draw against Frosinone on Wednesday in Turin, he didn't mean for his squad to just sit around and feel sorry for themselves. As much as he's preached patience to begin the season for a variety of reasons, Allegri also understands what the current situation is. Heck, all of us understand what the current situation is.

Fact is, the way the schedule is constructed these days, it's virtually impossible to not have chances to swiftly improve what has just gone wrong a few days before. Game day, training session, training session, game day. It's a cycle that is the norm these days with the Champions League starting up earlier this month.

So, if you thought that Juventus would sit around and absolutely stew on Wednesday's result, well, then that's just not going to happen. I sure would like Good Juventus, even Pissed Off Juventus, but it's hard to say what kind of team Juventus is right now no matter who you ask.

It's funny, this current season of ours. Juventus has beaten the best team they've played so far in the form of Manchester City. They've drawn against a team that is probably going to be trying like hell to not get relegated to Serie B. They've lost to a team that desperately wants the silverware that Juve currently has (Roma) and a team that Beppe Marotta is probably scouting right now (Udinese). It's weird, man.

So if you're thinking to yourself "I can't figure this crap out!" right now, don't worry, because you're not the only one.

Do I know which Juventus side is going to show up Saturday at the San Paolo? Nope, no freaking clue.

I do know that if they are as ineffective in front of goal against Napoli as they were in the draw with Frosinone, then it's going to be another frustrating day at the office no matter what the end result is. Of those 36 shots that Juventus totaled, Nicola Leali only had to make six saves. That's just dreadful, and something that can't happen in any game, let alone a big game like this one.

Yes, this is a big game. It's a big game because it's against a rival, and it's a big game because Juventus desperately need to get back on track as another Champions League game and the month October both lurk in the distance.

JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen
.@OfficialAllegri: "Actions speak louder than words in difficult times. We need to get our heads down & work our way out of it with results"

I like positive results. They make me happy. Remember when 1-0 wins became such a regular thing that it's all Max talked about last season? Man, I sure would be okay with that kind of thing right about now. So go out and get you a 1-0 win, Juventus. Max seems to like them, too.


GOOD NEWS

Napoli is just one point ahead of Juventus in the Serie A table right now. So when you think about who is having a crappier season, it's pretty much an even race at this point.


BAD NEWS

Simone Padoin might actually play right back.


WHAT TO WATCH FOR

1. Will the absence of both Martin Cáceres and Stephan Lichtsteiner force Max Allegri to change formations ... again?

Yeah, things are wonderful these days. We might get Padoin at right back or ... it's being rumored that the 3-5-2 is back in the picture, so get your party hats and put up some streamers. We're about to celebrate some good times like Kool & The Gang told us to. Injuries have caused Allegri to switch around with his formation all season long. I'm certainly in the camp of "It's time to play your best XI no matter what," but sometimes that's just not possible when you don't have anybody outside of Padoin to play right back or not enough strikers to field things the way you want to. So, take your pick, Padoin or 3-5-2? It might very well just come down to that simple question.


2. Will Mario Lemina keep his spot in the midfield?

In the struggle that has been the last couple of games in Serie A, one of the few bright spots has been Juventus' other young French midfielder with interesting hair choices. Lemina has certainly impressed against Genoa and Frosinone, which warrants him being in the discussion to not just play against Napoli, but play from the start. Is it a Lemina or Stefano Sturaro kind of situation? Yeah, probably. If it's a 3-5-2, I would like to think Allegri puts Hernanes in the middle. And if that's the case, there could very well be a Brazilian flanked by a couple of youngsters on each side. Basically what I'm trying to say is that Lemina hasn't done much of anything to say he shouldn't stick in the starting lineup during Claudio Marchisio's absence.


3. Does Paulo Dybala get a start?

I sure hope so. You look at Juventus' attack with him on the field compared to him on the sidelines, it's pretty noticeable. We don't know for sure why Allegri hasn't completely let Dybala loose this season, but at some point that's going to change — both for the sake of the team, and when Juve's manager deems him good to go. If that's Saturday as in Sept. 26 or two months from now, who knows, but Juventus' attack is lacking that extra something, and Dybala is capable of delivering it. They created plenty of chances against Frosinone, but we all know how that turned out. Juve need to both create and take advantage of those chances. And if that means playing Dybala more, then that's what needs to happen. If anything, having Dybala on the field from the start would mean Juventus has a better chance to win. And isn't that the point in all of this?


4. Is Álvaro Morata healthy enough to start?

I sure hope so. It's nothing against Simone Zaza, who scored Juve's only goal on his first start with the club. But if Morata is deemed healthy enough to start, then it needs to happen. It's not just the potential of a Morata-Dybala partnership being a distinct possibility, but the fact that they are easily the two best choices for Allegri to go with. While other spots on the field won't allow Allegri to field the best players he has due to injury, Morata and Dybala are the best of the bunch up top. And if it's a 3-5-2, Juan Cuadrado will likely make the switch to right wingback, meaning the likelihood of Morata playing next to Dybala is that much more. Oh, and it makes so much sense. Juventus needs a spark to turn this season around, and Morata (and Dybala) are more than capable of delivering that. Just go back and watch that game-winning goal against Manchester City. Yeah, that's the spark Juve need.


My starting XI (3-5-2)

Gianluigi Buffon; Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini; Juan Cuadrado, Mario Lemina, Hernanes, Paul Pogba, Patrice Evra; Álvaro Morata, Paulo Dybala

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8522]

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

Serie A Previews: Napoli-Juve night

http://www.football-italia.net/73487/serie-previews-napoli-juve-night?

 
Sep 26, 2015
 
Today Roma host Carpi in a must-win game, then Juventus visit Napoli in what’s sure to be a thriller, while on Sunday top two Inter and Fiorentina face off.

The Giallorossi start proceedings at 17.00 UK time (16.00 GMT) against Carpi, as the pressure is already piling up on Coach Rudi Garcia after one point from two games against Sassuolo and Sampdoria.

This evening the Stadio San Paolo lights up for a classic fixture between Napoli and Juventus, two giants stuttering at the moment and in dire need of a boost.

On Sunday the 11.30 UK time (10.30 GMT) kick-off is between Genoa and Milan, as Mario Balotelli tries to build on his fine form and the Rossoneri seemingly incapable of a comfortable win.

That afternoon Lazio visit Verona, surprise third place side Sassuolo host giant-killers Chievo, Torino try to get back on track against Palermo and Bologna take on Udinese in crisis.

On Sunday evening, top two Inter and Fiorentina go head-to-head at San Siro, as Paulo Sousa tries to terminate the Nerazzurri’s 100 per cent record.

The round concludes on Monday with Frosinone v Empoli and Atalanta-Sampdoria.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8522]

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 6
Saturday, September 26th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
San Paolo Stadium - Naples
Referee:‬ Daniele Orsato

MATCH PREVIEW

http://www.football-italia.net/73487/serie-previews-napoli-juve-night?

 
Sep 26, 2015
 
A colossal clash at the San Paolo on Saturday night sees two of Italian football’s giants go head to head, as Napoli host champions Juventus with both in need of a win.

If ever Napoli would fancy taking on the Old Lady it would surely have been now after the champion’s unsure start to the season. That was, however, until the Partenopei’s goal-laden run of form came to an almighty halt at Carpi in midweek.

Since the arrival of Mauricio Sarri the Vesuviani have struggled to come to terms with their new tactics and have been the definition of inconsistent. Over the last three games, though, plans seem to have been coming together with three clean sheets on the spin.

Scoring has not been an issue throughout the campaign, with only Roma (five) having more goal scorers this season than Napoli (four). The key to Napoli’s successful attack thus far has been the ability of Lorenzo Insigne to link with both Allan and Marek Hamsik in midfield, as well as Gonzalo Higuain at the head of the attack.

The Old Lady’s midweek encounter with a newly promoted side hardly went to plan, either. A solid if unspectacular single-goal victory was turned on its head by self-confessed Juve fan Leonardo Blanchard’s injury-time equaliser for Frosinone.

Injuries to attackers Alvaro Morata and Mario Mandzukic saw Simone Zaza pressed in to action alongside Paulo Dybala in midweek and the former Sassuolo man impressed, notching his first goal for the club and also hitting the bar.

The injury crisis surrounding Max Allegri’s squad shows no sign of abating, as Stephan Lichtsteiner is a major doubt having been withdrawn at half-time in midweek due to breathing difficulties.

With long-term absentees Claudio Marchisio, Kwadwo Asamoah and Sami Khedira all still no nearer fitness, Allegri’s options are at a premium, which makes the emergence in midfield of Mario Lemina even more vital. A surprise inclusion against Genoa a fortnight ago, the on-loan Marseille man has impressed with his tenacity and understanding with Paul Pogba.

The last eight meetings between these two sides have averaged over three goals a game and victory for either side could be exactly the kick-start they need. Whatever happens, entertainment and quality is assured.


Keep an eye on: Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli) - The diminutive talent has received criticism in recent days for greediness, but with two goals and assists so far this season, Napoli tend to play well when he does.


Form Guide: Napoli (D W D D L) Juventus (D W W D L)

Last season: Napoli 1-3 Juventus

Stat fact: It’s been 18 years and 20 meetings since the last goalless Serie A draw between these two teams in March 1997 at the San Paolo.


Napoli (probable):

 

Reina; Hysaj, Albiol, Koulibaly, Ghoulam; Allan, Jorginho, Hamsik; Callejon, Higuain, Insigne

Suspended: None


Juventus (probable):

 

Buffon; Caceres, Barzagli, Chiellini, Evra; Sturaro, Hernanes, Pogba; Cuadrado, Morata, Dybala

Suspended: None

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127