Juventus started out the season in absolutely terrible fashion, losing their first match of the season to Udinese at home before tailspinning into form that saw them flirt with the relegation zone for weeks before they finally turned things around. Now they’re through half of the season, and as they get set to face Udinese again on the road they’ve climbed all the way up to third place in Serie A -- with a chance to climb into second place staring them in the face.
Juventus vs. Udinese 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to Serie A online
After a season of struggle, Juventus can finally rise to second place in Serie A with a win.
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Thanks to a draw by Inter Milan on Saturday, Juventus can pass the nerazzurri in the table with a win, bringing them close to fully completing their comeback from struggle. It’s been a long road, but Juventus are on a nine-match winning streak in the league that they won’t be eager to give up on any time soon. Of course, Udinese won’t be eager to let Juventus just push them around -- the Zebrette have won two of their last three matches and have finally gotten their once-woeful attack into gear. A second straight massive upset over Juventus could really kick-start Udinese’s season -- and who knows what it would do to Juventus’ confidence levels after all they’ve been through.
Key player -- Paulo Dybala (Juventus)
The little Argentine striker has been in simply ridiculous form of late, scoring goals and creating them with equal ease. He’s been a huge spark to Juventus’ turnaround from their early-season doldrums, and if you’ve been paying attention to their play of late you know he’s going to be a huge part of anything positive their attack does. Dybala is quickly becoming a must-watch player, and with Udinese’s struggles against trickier attackers, this could be a chance for him to really shine.
Key matchup -- Duvan Zapata (Udinese) vs. Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus)
Zapata’s long-term injury absence cost Udinese’s attack dearly -- the big Colombian loanee had scored in three straight matches when he went down, and he’s still their second-leading scorer despite missing eleven matches. He’s been excellent since returning, though, scoring in a substitute appearance against Carpi last weekend and looking like he’s ready to show off how good he can be once again. Zapata has used his size and surprising athleticism to torture Bonucci in the past, and he’ll be eager to do it again not just to help Udinese pull further clear of the relegation zone, but to help his parent club Napoli keep a well-padded lead on top of the table.
Udinese injuries and suspensions
Out: Alexander Merkel In doubt: Antonio Di Natale, Giovanni Pasquale, Maurizio Domizzi
Juventus injuries and suspensions
Out: Andrea Barzagli, Roberto Pereyra, Mario Lemina In doubt: Alvaro Morata, Mario Mandzukic
Match Date/Time: Sunday, 9 a.m. ET, 3 p.m. local
Venue: Stadio Comunale Friuli, Udine, Italy
TV: beIN Sports (U.S. & Canada), Sky Calcio 1, Premium Calcio (Italy), BT Sport 2 (U.K.), RAI International
Online: beIN Sports Connect, Fubo TV (U.S. & Canada), Sky Go Italia (Italy), BT Sport Live Streaming (U.K.)
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