Preview: Visitors target second major upset of the season
As Antonio Conte’s men get ready to take on Hellas Verona, the Bianconeri would be wary of being on the receiving end of an upset at the hands of this Sunday’s opponents.
After gaining promotion to Serie A last season, Hellas Verona have shown that they want to make up for a long absence from top flight Italian football. After beating AC Milan at home on the opening days of the season, Verona would understandably be very upbeat about their chances against the Turin giants.
However, Juve may not be as yielding as the Lombardy giants who have not started the season in a cracking manner. Moreover, the Old Lady boasts a great record against Verona whom they have beaten nine times in the last ten games. And, Conte would be eager to rack up another win as he looks to guide his team to a third consecutive Serie A title.
The Scudetto defence has gone off in strong fashion for the Italian giants. After a 1-1 draw against Inter Milan in the season’s first Derby Della’Italia the Old Lady would be eager to return to winning ways.
Apart from the likes of Carlos Tevez and Mirko Vucinic, Chile international, Arturo Vidal has been in fine goal scoring form. The former Bayer Leverkusen scored his third goal of the season against Inter Milan last week and would be a major threat for the newly promoted Verona.
Uruguay international, Maritn Caceres and Simone Pepe are going to miss out on this game due to respective injuries while Claudio Marchisio is in line for his first appearance of the season after recovering from a knee injury. After consistently playing for three years, Andrea Barzagli was rested for a few games. However, the Italian’s absence always affects the defence so his return will definitely be welcomed.
Verona have been handed a massive task due to the fact that Juve have tasted defeat only twice in their last 39 games at home. However, after making a great start to their first season in Serie A since the 2001/2002 campaign, Andrea Mandorlini will be heading into this particular game in high spirits regardless of how tough the task may be.
After managing just a draw in their opening Champions League game against Kobenhaven, Juventus would be eager to make amends. One player who would be keen on proving doubters wrong would be number one, Gigi Buffon, a player who has received some criticism in recent months. However, the Italian international has been in fine form so far this season.
Where to watch the match – live stream, start time, TV channels, Live scores
Watch Juventus vs Hellas Verona live on Sunday, September 22, 2013:
In USA at 9:00 ET on beIN Sport en Español, beIN Sport Play
Fans in other parts of the world can watch the match live on their local channels. Those in Italy can watch the match live on Premium Calcio 2 and Sky Calcio 1.
For complete details of match listings and live scores, visit the Juventus vs Hellas Verona match page.
