Who could have thought that, 11 matches into the Serie A campaign, Juventus would be in 10th place? Or that that standing would represent a vast improvement on where they were a few weeks ago? It’s been a trying season for the Old Lady and their fans, with Juve already having lost more matches this season than they did all of last year. Now they head to Empoli looking to win two in a row in the league for the first time all season, but that won’t be an easy task.
Juventus vs. Empoli 2015 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch Serie A online
It’s been a strange and not-fun season for Juventus. Can they keep heading in the right direction with a road win against Empoli?
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Empoli, who sit just one point behind Juve in the table, have managed a few impressive results at home this season, including holding Napoli to a draw and earning wins over Sassuolo and Genoa. Marco Giampaolo doesn’t have his team playing quite as well as Maurizio Sarri once did, but they’re still a solid team that’s tough to break down. They play well as a unit and will have an emotional home crowd behind them -- just the perfect recipe for disaster if Juventus can’t get rolling in this match.
Key player -- Juan Cuadrado (Juventus)
Cuadrado’s exact role and usage has varied heavily this season, but one thing has been rock-solid consistent: whenever the Colombian steps onto the pitch, he makes an impact. Whether he starts this match or comes on late as a game-changing substitute, Empoli will have to find some way to account for him and keep him in check -- but they don’t have anyone who naturally matches up well with Cuadrado’s athleticism and skill set.
Key factor -- Midfield chemistry
For all their talent, it’s hard to know what exactly Juventus will get from their midfield trio of Paul Pogba, Claudio Marchisio, and Sami Khedira. The trio haven’t played a ton of minutes together yet, and that can be an important factor in how well a midfield group play. Pogba is especially a question mark, as he’s been wildly inconsistent this season.
Empoli’s midfield has only a fraction of Juve’s talent, but Riccardo Saponara, Pirotr Zielinski and company have played well this season because they’ve played together a ton, and have driven some of Empoli’s more impressive results this season with how well they know each other and how to play together. If Juventus’ midfield can’t get on the same page like Empoli’s will, that could prove to be the death knell for their chances in this game.
Empoli injuries and suspensions
Out: Daniele Croce, Levan Mchedlidze, Uros Cosic, Kastriot Dermaku In doubt: Raffaele Maiello, Andrea Costa
Juventus injuries and suspensions
Out: Roberto Pereyra, Kwadwo Asamoah In doubt: Sami Khedira
Match Date/Time: Sunday, 9 a.m. ET, 3 p.m. local
Venue: Stadio Carlo Castellani, Empoli, Italy
TV: Sky Calcio 2 (Italy)
Online: beIN Sports Connect (U.S.), Sky Go Italia (Italy)
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