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Serie A returns with a fresh set of fixtures as Udinese welcome Juventus to the Stadio Friuli on Sunday.
The defending champions were held to a 1-1 draw by Fiorentina last time out, while the hosts claimed an impressive win away to Benevento.
Udinese continued their resurgence when they claimed a 4-2 win against relegation-threatened Benevento last Sunday.
Luca Gotti's men have now picked up two wins from their last three games after going on a three-game losing streak.
This run of results has seen Udinese move up to 11th place in the league table, one point above Bologna.
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The Friulani will aim to break into the top half of the table this week, but they face the stern challenge of taking on defending champions Juventus.
Juventus, meanwhile, were held to a 1-1 draw by Fiorentina at the Artemio Franchi Stadium last Sunday.
The result was a huge blow to their chances of finishing in the Champions League spots. The Bianconeri are now fourth on goal difference, level on points with third-placed Napoli and fifth-placed AC Milan.
Andrea Pirlo will expect an immediate response from his side on Sunday, knowing more dropped points will be detrimental to their chances of a top-four finish.
Udinese vs Juventus Head-To-Head
Juventus have simply been dominant in their last 42 meetings with Udinese, claiming an impressive 30 wins. Udinese have picked up only five wins while seven games have ended in draws.
Their most recent encounter ended in a comfortable 4-1 win for Juventus back in January’s reverse fixture.
Udinese Form Guide: L-L-W-L-W
Juventus Form Guide: W-W-L-W-D
Udinese vs Juventus Team News
Udinese
Udinese head into this tie with an injury-ravaged squad. Jayden Braaf (knee), Ilija Nestorovski (ACL), Gerard Deulofeu (meniscus), Ignacio Pussetto (knee) and Mato Jajalo (meniscus) are all sidelined with injuries.
Juan Musso will sit out this tie as he is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season last time out.
Injured: Jayden Braaf, Ilija Nestorovski, Gerard Deulofeu, Ignacio Pussetto, Mato Jajalo
Suspended: Juan Musso
Juventus
Juventus, on the other hand, have a relatively short absentee list heading into Sunday’s encounter.
Merih Demiral, who has had an impressive campaign in central defense, has been ruled out with a muscle injury. Federico Chiesa remains out of contention as he sustained a hamstring problem in the 1-0 loss to Atalanta two weeks ago.
Injured: Merih Demiral, Federico Chiesa
Suspended: None
Udinese vs Juventus Predicted XI
Udinese Predicted XI (3-5-2): Juan Musso; Rodrigo Becao, Kevin Bonifazi, Bram Nuytinck; Nahuel Molina, Tolgay Arslan, Wallace, Roberto Pereyra, Jens Stryger Larsen; Stefano Okaka, Fernando Llorente
Juventus Predicted XI (4-4-2): Wojciech Szczesny; Alex Sandro, Leonardo Bonucci, Matthijs De Ligt, Danilo; Weston McKennie, Rodrigo Bentancur, Arthur, Juan Cuadrado; Paulo Dybala, Cristiano Ronaldo
Udinese vs Juventus Prediction
Juventus have picked up seven wins in their last eight games against Sunday’s hosts and will be aiming to continue this run.
The Old Lady have stumbled in recent weeks, but looking at the difference in quality between the two sides, we expect Juve to claim all three points.
Prediction: Udinese 0-2 Juventus
