With the halfway point of the 2015/2016 Serie A campaign now upon us, the race is truly on for the Scudetto. And after a poor start to the season, reigning title holders Juventus are firmly back in a four way battle to see who will be crowned Italian champions this May. Meanwhile, their upcoming opponents, Sampdoria, are still struggling to find their way after having their own difficult beginning to the current campaign, but now appear to have righted the ship after avoiding defeat in their past three league matches.
Sampdoria
It was a roller-coaster ride, but the Blucerchiati were able to hold off city rivals Genoa in a tense Derby della Lanterna clash in order to make it two wins on the bounce after beating Palermo in their opening game of 2016. Still, the fact that Sampdoria were 3-0 up and conceded two late goals to allow the Grifone back into the match will be a worrying fact for supporters, especially given that their team have one of the weakest defenses in the league this season. In fact, only four sides have done worse, and three of them - Carpi, Frosinone and Hellas Verona - all sit in the relegation zone.
Under Vincenzo Montella, Samp have shown some signs of improvement, and have earned seven points from their last three games. Nonetheless, they will be welcoming a Juventus side that has been simply knocking off the opposition one by one, and are keen on making up for lost time by earning yet another three points to keep their Scudetto ambitions alive.
The former Roma and Sampdoria striker will be missing the services of Lorenzo De Silvestri and Matias Silvestre due to injury and new signing Ricky Alvarez due to an administrative issue, so will be able to cal on the majority of his first-choice players for what could be a difficult match for the hosts.
Juventus
With eight wins in the bag, Juventus are now four away from matching their 12 match winning streak earned whilst Antonio Conte was in charge. More important, their wins have encouraged fans that the same team - albeit with a different look - that conquered Italy for the past four seasons is back. Whilst they still do have some work to do - as they nearly threw away all three points against relegation candidates Carpi - the team's mental fortitude and ability to turn things around was clearly shown during their 3-1 win over fellow title rivals Fiorentina which saw them fight back after going a goal down early in the game.
Massimiliano Allegri's men are viewed as the favorites to depart the Stadio Luigi Ferraris with another three points in hand, but the former AC Milan coach will have to modify his squad due to absences of several key players. Claudio Marchisio will miss out due to a ban, whilst Andrea Barzagli and Mario Mandzukic are both injured, meaning that young defender Daniele Rugani could finally get a shot at starting from the beginning.
Additional players on the treatment table include Mario Lemina and Roberto Pereyra, but Ghanaian international Kwadwo Asamoah, who has been battling fitness problems for the past two seasons, was included in the traveling party fo Genoa and so presents another option for Allegri in midfield.
Will Juventus make it nine wins in nine against a Sampdoria side still trying to find their way? Or will the hosts halt La Vecchia Signora in their tracks?
Which channel is broadcasting Sampdoria vs Juventus on TV or Online?
Sampdoria face a tough task to stop Juventus, but expect their loyal fans to be in attendance at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris later today to cheer the squad on - as well as quite a few Bianconeri supporters. However, like most Serie A followers, you will be watching this match from your TV, computer, phone, or tablet, and LiveSoccerTV.com has plenty of options to make sure you do not miss out on the game.
Here are some selections for fans living in the following countries:
- In the USA at 14.45 EST on: fuboTV, beIN Sports USA, beIN SPORTS CONNECT U.S.A.
- In Italy at 20.45 CET on: Sky Calcio 1, SKY Go Italia, Sky Sport 1 HD Italia, Sky Supercalcio HD
- In the UK at 19.45 GMT on: BT Sport Live Streaming, BT Sport Europe
- In Canada at 14.45 ET on: beIN SPORTS CONNECT Canada, beIN Sports Canada
Live elsewhere? Check out our special Sampdoria vs Juventus broadcast page for viewing times and options for wherever you call home.
*Note: Live broadcast data is subject to change*
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Follow the game on-the-go
Download our iOS and Android apps to follow soccer on-the-go. It comes packed with features - live scores, fixtures, results, tables, line-ups, stats, TV schedule and much more! Sorry, no live streaming within the app.
