After being held to a disappointing 2-2 draw by Udinese in their Serie A opener, Juventus, sans Cristiano Ronaldo, will be looking to get back to winning ways when they host newly-promoted Empoli on Saturday.
Massimiliano Allegri’s men raced to a 2-0 lead on Sunday but were pegged back by a spirited Udinese side, who were helped by Wojciech Szczesny’s howlers.
Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to have broken Udinese hearts with a desperately late goal, but his effort was chalked off by VAR, ensuring Juventus had to settle for a point on Allegri’s long-awaited return to the hot-seat.
The 36-time league champions should have a much easier time of it against Empoli, whom they have defeated in nine straight home games in all competitions.
Team News
The biggest talking point ahead of the game against Empoli is Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Manchester United. The Portuguese was benched against Udinese amid speculation over his future, and his departure leaves a big hole in the team.
Midfielder Aaron Ramsey will miss the clash due to a thigh injury, but new signing Manuel Locatelli is in contention to make his full debut for the club. Adrien Rabiot, who missed the previous game due to injury, might also return.
Weston McKennie is available once again after serving a suspension.
Predicted Juventus Lineup vs Empoli (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper
Wojciech Szczesny committed two mistakes against Udinese, which proved costly. But he should retain his spot in the side ahead of Mattea Perin.
Defenders
Allegri is likely to stick with the same backline that featured in the opening game against Udinese.
Alex Sandro missed a major chunk of last season due to illness and injury, but when fit he’s Juventus’ first-choice left-back. The right-back spot is a toss-up between Danilo and Juan Cuadrado. The Brazilian should get the nod, with Cuadrado expected to feature further up-field.
Leonardo Bonucci and Matthijs de Ligt should start at the heart of the defence. De Ligt has not quite lived up to expectations following his high-profile move from Ajax, but he has plenty of potential and will be hoping to take the next step this season.
Midfielders
New signing Manuel Locatelli could be handed his first start for Juventus following his arrival from Sassuolo in the summer. Locatelli made a brief cameo in the game against Udinese, but should replace the injured Aaron Ramsey in the starting lineup on Saturday.
Partnering Locatelli in central midfield will be Rodrigo Bentancur. The Uruguayan was a mainstay in Juventus’ midfield last season, making 45 appearances in all competitions.
Predicted Juventus Lineup vs Empoli | Serie A
Federico Chiesa is expected to replace Federico Bernardeschi on the left flank. Chiesa was one of Juventus’ standout players last season, scoring 15 goals and providing 11 assists. His pace and trickery will cause plenty of problems for a rather shaky Empoli defence.
Cuadrado should retain his spot on the right flank after scoring in the 2-2 draw against Udinese.
Attackers
Alvaro Morata should return to the Juventus lineup following Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure to Manchester United earlier today. The Spaniard is expected to feature regularly now that Ronaldo has left, and he will hope to get in the score-sheet starting from the clash on Saturday.
Paulo Dybala will partner Ronaldo upfront. The Argentine netted Juventus’ opener last weekend and will hope to replicate that performance this Saturday.