The last time Udinese and Juventus met was one to celebrate for Zebrette followers, but one to forget for La Vecchia Signorna's supporters. Cyril Thereau's goal not only marked the first time they defeated the currently reigning Scudetto champions for the first time since 2011, but also set a historic precedent by becoming the first team to defeat Juventus on matchday one at the Turin titan's home stadium.
It all appeared to be an auspicious beginning for Udinese and a negative one for Juventus. However, a lot has changed over the first 19 rounds and it's one Bianconeri side enjoying a fruitful vein of form and are firmly in the race for the Scudetto. Meanwhile, the other has struggled to achieve any kind of consistency but are still in the running for a top-ten finish if they start putting together some positive results.
Udinese
Tomorrow's game will mark the first one for Udinese at their newly refurbished stadium, and as such, the Stadio Friuli is reportedly set to be a sold-out affair. Stefano Colantuono's men have endured a torrid campaign and despite sitting nine points clear of the drop zone, have already lost nine games out of 20 played so far this season, including a disappointing 2-1 reversal to Serie A debutants Carpi. Before then, the Zebrette had shown signs of improvement after two consecutive wins versus Atalanta and Torino, but highly encouraging for Udinese supporters will be their team's overall form at home as of late.
The hosts have racked up 10 points from their last five home games; a marked improvement over their previous showings that only earned them one out the quartet prior to that. Still, they will have to bring their A-game - and more - if they want to have a good chance at completing what would be an impressive double over Juventus this season as they will be welcoming a side that is very different from the one they defeated in Turin back in August. And their lack of goals - just 18 so far - versus 27 conceded will be of concern, especially considering that their opponents have scored nearly double and have given up just over half (15) from their first 19 games.
It also could be a special match for veteran striker Antonio Di Natale, who at 38 years old looks likely to hang up his boots this summer - meaning it could be the last time the evergreen captain faces familiar opponent Juventus. With just one goal this season due to his injury issues - a far cry from the double-digits he hit in his past nine campaigns - will Toto mark the opening of the new Stadio Friuli with a goal?
Udinese will have to make do without Giovanni Pasquale, Maurizio Domizzi, and Alexander Merkel all due to injury, but other from that, Colantuono has no other concerns ahead of tomorrow afternoon's clash.
Juventus
After a poor start, Juventus are firmly back on track and are looking simply unstoppable at the moment. They did endure a late scare against Carpi and Sampdoria, both of whom attempted to fight back for a draw, but managed to weather the storm to record their eighth and ninth straight wins of the season. Massimiliano Allegri's men are not just looking to match the 12 wins in 12 set by Antonio Conte's side but also, having chased down the pack in the Scudetto race, to overhaul current league leaders Napoli whilst holding both Inter and Fiorentina at bay.
A big part of their revival, of course, has been the gelling of the new arrivals but the return to form of key players like Paul Pogba, who is now looking like his true self after his own difficult start to the season. The French international has contributed to 50 per cent out of his team's last six goals with a brace and and assist; a marked improvement considering that he was only involved in four out of their first 27.
Allegri will be able to welcome back several players, including Mario Mandzukic and Claudio Marchisio, meaning that the starting XI for this game will be a slightly different one than the one that featured in the game against Sampdoria last weekend. However, Mario Lemina, Andrea Barzagli and Roberto Pereyra are still all out injured, which will probably give young defender Daniele Rugani yet another opportunity to feature from the start in Barzagli's absence.
A win for Juventus in tomorrow's match will see them finish round 20 in at least second place, but possibly first if Sassuolo continue their knack of frustrating the bigger sides and steal all three points from the Partenopei like they did to Inter last weekend. Meanwhile, victory for Udinese would not just complete what would be an impressive double but also move them closer towards cracking the top ten.
Which channel is broadcasting Udinese vs Juventus on TV or Online?
It will be all Bianconeri affair as Udinese welcome Juventus and if you happen to be in or around Udine, you may be heading to the Stadio Friuli to see the Zebrette take on la Vecchia Signora. If not, no worries, as LiveSoccerTV.com has you covered with varied ways to catch the game from your TV, computer, tablet, or phone.
Here are some selections for fans residing elsewhere in Italy and in the following countries:
- In the USA at 9.00 EST on: beIN Sports USA, RAI International, beIN SPORTS CONNECT U.S.A., fuboTV
- In Italy at 15.00 CET on: Sky Calcio 1, SKY Go Italia, Premium Calcio
- In the UK at 14.00 GMT on: BT Sport Live Streaming, BT Sport 2
- In Canada at 9.00 ET on: RAI International, beIN Sports Canada, beIN SPORTS CONNECT Canada
Live outside these four nations? Check out our special Udinese 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
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