The Serie A season is finally underway, and they’re giving us one heck of a hello with this match. Juventus come in as a retooled and reloaded four-time defending champion, looking to get their hopeful fifth-straight Scudetto winning campaign off with a strong start with three points and a dominating performance against Udinese.
Juventus vs. Udinese 2015 live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Can Juventus start down the road to a fifth straight Scudetto with a huge win, or will Udinese start playing spoiler early?
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Their guests won’t be eager to just let that happen, though. Udinese want to put the demons of their past two seasons behind them, and beating Juventus in Turin would be a fantastic way to help do just that. The zebrette have quietly had a solid summer and look like a very dangerous side who could make a lot of noise in Serie A this season. Given that they’re facing a wounded Juventus side with several key players out or playing wounded, this could be their chance to make a huge statement by upsetting the odds and picking up all three points.
Key player — Paul Pogba (Juventus)
There’s one question running around everyone’s minds: where is Paul Pogba’s head? It wasn’t long ago that Juventus handed him the number 10 shirt, an honor more significant at Juventus than at almost any other club. But recent days have brought a lot of talk of potential record-breaking offers from Chelsea, so you have to wonder how his focus is and whether his head has been turned. If he’s focused on the task at hand, though, Pogba is a one-man wrecking crew that Udinese will be hard-pressed to stop.
New player to watch — Duvan Zapata (Udinese)
While The Man for Udinese in their attack is Antonio Di Natale, the well-respected and fiercely loyal captain of the zebrette, they’ve got a new gunner in town who could make a big impact, both for himself and in helping Di Natale continue to rule the roost. Brought in on loan for the next two seasons from Napoli, Zapata will use his size to bulldoze defenses and try to clear the way for Di Natale — but if he gets some chances to score for himself, Zapata has shown he can take the chances he’s given. He could easily be the pickup of the summer for Udinese.
Juventus injuries and suspensions
Out: Claudio Marchisio (thigh), Sami Khedira (hamstring), Alvaro Morata (calf) In doubt: Giorgio Chiellini (thigh)
Udinese injuries and suspensions
Out: Guilherme (muscular), Molla Wague (suspension) In doubt: Antonio Di Natale (knock)
Juventus are pretty beaten up right now, with two of their expected starters in that midfield trio missing out after Marchisio and Khedira picked up injuries over the last few weeks. Morata was a big spark for their attack last season for the Old Lady, and so his presence will be missed as well. Udinese have a pair of reserves out and Di Natale has been a bit banged up, but he’s expected to be fit and ready for this match.
Match Date/Time: Sunday, 11 a.m. ET, 5 p.m. local
Venue: Juventus Stadium, Turin, Italy
TV: RAI International (U.S. & Canada - Italian), Sky Calcio 1, Sky Sport 1 HD Italia (Italy), BT Sport 2
Online: Sky Go Italia (Italy)
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