Juventus return to action at the Allianz Stadium on Wednesday night with the hope of halting their alarming slump in form as they face Udinese in a match that could have serious implications for both sides in the Serie A table. The clash between the two “Bianconeri” outfits comes at a delicate moment for the Turin club, who recently dismissed Igor Tudor after an extended winless run.
Match Preview
The Turmoil in Turin
It has been eight matches without victory for Juventus — a crisis that deepened with Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico. The team has now gone nearly 400 minutes without scoring, a reflection of their growing struggles in attack and overall confidence. Their last triumph came in mid-September’s thrilling 4-3 victory over Inter Milan, when they converted every shot on target in an extraordinary comeback display.
Since then, a run of lacklustre displays — including losses to Como and Real Madrid, and a frustrating goalless draw with AC Milan — saw Juventus slide down both domestic and European standings. With just two points collected from three Champions League matches, Tudor’s position had become untenable. The club turned to Massimo Brambilla, the coach of Juventus Next Gen, to steady the ship on an interim basis.
Brambilla’s first task will not be easy, but he can take comfort from recent history: Juventus have beaten Udinese in 13 of their last 16 meetings, including May’s 2-0 home win. Udinese, meanwhile, have scored just once across the last seven encounters against the Turin giants.
Udinese’s Confident Climb
Udinese travel to Turin with momentum on their side. Following a 3-2 home victory over Lecce, Kosta Runjaic’s side climbed into Serie A’s top half, trailing Juventus only on goal difference. The Fruilani have amassed 12 points from eight games — a steady start built on defensive discipline and clever counter-attacking play.
Captain Jesper Karlstrom opened his Serie A scoring account in that match before Arthur Atta provided yet another assist for Keinan Davis, whose strength and aerial power have been key to Udinese’s attacking improvement. Substitute Adam Buksa added a third goal on the break, ensuring a valuable win before a late Lecce reply made the scoreline closer than it seemed.
Udinese’s away record has been particularly encouraging, with only Roma taking more points on the road this season. Runjaic’s team arrive in Turin quietly confident that they can exploit Juventus’ fragile morale.
Team News
Juventus continue to deal with lingering injury absences, notably Gleison Bremer and Juan Cabal, though most of the squad will be available for Brambilla’s first game in charge. The caretaker manager must decide how to balance his frontline, with Dusan Vlahovic, Jonathan David, and Lois Openda competing for starting spots. Vlahovic remains a capable focal point but has struggled for rhythm amid rotation and contract tensions.
Key players rested against Lazio — Michele Di Gregorio, Kenan Yildiz, and Khephren Thuram — are all expected to start. Francisco Conceição’s width and Locatelli’s control in midfield will be vital in giving Juventus structure, while Teun Koopmeiners could push higher up in a 4-2-3-1 shape.
For Udinese, defensive leader Thomas Kristensen remains out with a thigh injury, but otherwise Runjaic has a near full squad. Maduka Okoye retains his place in goal after returning from suspension, with his manager offering public backing despite a shaky recent outing. Davis, top scorer with three goals, will spearhead the attack alongside Nicolò Zaniolo, while Atta and Karlstrom form the energetic core in midfield.
Probable Starting XI’s
Juventus: Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Gatti, Kelly; Conceição, Locatelli, Thuram, Cambiaso; Koopmeiners, Yildiz; Vlahovic
Udinese: Okoye; Bertola, Kabasele, Solet; Zanoli, Piotrowski, Karlstrom, Atta, Kamara; Zaniolo, Davis
Prediction
With Juventus in transition and struggling for identity, confidence could prove the deciding factor. Brambilla will aim to restore rhythm and motivation, but Udinese’s impressive away form and organisation make them difficult opponents.
Prediction: Juventus 2–1 Udinese.
