Juventus would lock horns with Brescia in the Serie A on Sunday, seeking to get back to winning ways in their quest for a ninth consecutive league title.
The Bianconerri surprisingly fell to 2-1 defeat away to Hellas Verona in the last round and this setback saw them relinquish top spot to Inter Milan in what is fast becoming an intriguing three-way race for the Scudetto.
Juventus v Brescia Head-to-Head
Brescia are relative upstarts in the top-flight of Italian football and it is no surprise that they have not crossed paths with Juventus on too many occasions in the past.
The two sides have clashed five times, with the Bianconerri having the advantage, having picked up three wins, while the Lombardy outfit have triumphed on just one occasion, scoring six and conceding eight.
Juventus form guide: L-W-L-W-W
Brescia form guide: D-L-L-D-L
Juventus v Brescia Team News
Maurizio Sarri is still without team captain Giorgio Chiellini who has been ruled out since August with a Cruciate Ligament Rupture, while Merih Demiral is also sidelined for the rest of the season with the same issue.
Other long-term absentees are Sami Khedira (knee) and Danilo (Thigh), while Douglas Costa and Federico Bernadeschi are also ruled out with Biceps and Calf problems respectively.
Injuries: Giorgio Chiellini, Merih Demiral, Douglas Costa, Danilo, Sami Khedira, Federico Bernadeschi
Suspensions: None
Doubtful: None
Juventus v Brescia Predicted XI
Juventus Predicted XI: Wojciech Szczesny; Alex Sandro, Leonardo Bonucci, Matthijs de Ligt, Juan Cuadrado; Miralem Pjanic, Adrian Rabiot, Rodrygo Bentancur; Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain, Paulo Dybala
Juventus v Brescia Prediction
The form of Inter Milan and Lazio means that Juventus can ill-afford too many slip-ups if they are to retain their league title this season and recent defeats have seen the Nerazzurri usurp them at the summit.
They also needed a last-gasp Cristiano Ronaldo penalty to snatch a draw against AC Milan in the Coppa semifinal and they would fancy their chances of getting back to winning ways against a hapless Brescia who currently occupy 19th spot on the standings and are winless in their last eight Serie A fixtures.
The visitors would have their work cut out if they are to leave Turin with anything, as Juventus have been near-invincible at home, winning 10 and drawing just one of their 11 league games at the Allianz Stadium and it would be an upset of catastrophic proportions if they fail to pick up all three points on Sunday.
In Cristiano Ronaldo, Maurizio Sarri has one of the form players of the league and the Portuguese international would be looking to continue his run as the only Juventus player to score in 11 consecutive Serie A matches.
Verdict: Juventus 3-1 Brescia