Serie A Preview: Juventus vs Udinese – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Allianz Stadium forms the backdrop for a must-win Serie A clash between Champions League hopefuls Juventus and mid-table Udinese. As expected, one of the most intense top-four battles in recent memory has gone down to the wire.

Juventus were second away from claiming a crucial win at Lazio last weekend, only for Matias Vecino’s 96th-minute equalizer to settle an ill-tempered 1-1 draw. Randal Kolo Muani’s opener was in vain as the record-time Italian champions finished the round in fourth, albeit level on points with the fifth-placed Biancocelesti.

The situation is far more complex, though. Roma languish only a point adrift of Juventus, whose lead over seventh-placed Bologna stands at only two points. Probably needless to say, anything other than victory against Udinese would likely put the Turin giants in an inferior position heading into the final round.

During his pre-match conference via Calciomercato, under-pressure boss Igor Tudor admitted he doesn’t feel the heat despite Juventus’ complicated position. The club’s first foreign manager in almost two decades must be glad to see Udinese touch down at the Allianz Stadium, considering his team’s recent record in this match-up.

A 2-0 win in November’s reverse fixture marked Juve’s 12th victory in their last 15 league meetings with the Friulian outfit (D2, L1). With that in mind, Kosta Runjaic’s side should make this journey with low expectations, especially after the embarrassment of a 2-1 defeat to an already-relegated Monza in the previous round.

Match Preview

Juventus

These are far from idyllic times for Juventus. Back-to-back draws against fellow top-four hopefuls Bologna and Lazio have heightened the pressure on Tudor. Furthermore, sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli has come under scrutiny, even though the club renewed confidence in the former Napoli executive.

Despite drawing a league-high 16 matches this season, Juventus’ home record against Udinese suggests this clash will go one way or another. Indeed, none of their 28 league meetings since the start of the 1994/95 campaign have ended all square (W22, L6), though the visitors emerged 1-0 victors in this corresponding fixture last term.

However, Juventus defied a numerical disadvantage to beat Monza 2-0 in their last Serie A home outing, preserving a near-flawless league record on home turf in 2025. Tudor’s charges have won seven of their eight top-flight matches since the calendar year flipped (D1), including all three since his appointment.

Udinese

Monza’s shocking triumph in Udine inflicted probably irreparable damage on Udinese’s hopes of securing a first top-half finish in Serie A since 2012/13. Indeed, Runjaic’s men trail 10th-placed Como by four points. Given their lackluster form, it’s almost impossible to expect the Friulians to overturn that deficit in the last two rounds.

However, Udinese will not go down without a fight. They could win back-to-back away league games against Juventus for the first time in over 30 years. Good omens are few and far between, with the visitors only winning once across their last nine league outings (D2, L6).

That run includes a disastrous 4-0 home defeat against Juventus’ eternal rivals AC Milan in early April. If it’s any consolation, they halted a three-match losing away league streak with a 2-1 win at Cagliari earlier this month, claiming only their second top-flight victory on hostile turf in 2025 (D3, L4).

Team News

Much of Juventus’ problems in 2025 came from a full-blown injury crisis. In addition to long-term absentees Arkadiusz Milik, Gleison Bremer, and Juan Cabal, Tudor cannot call upon the likes of Andrea Cambiaso, Lloyd Kelly, and Teun Koopmeiners. Moreover, Pierre Kalulu, Nicolo Savona, and Khephren Thuram are absent with suspensions.

On the other hand, Isaak Toure and Florian Thauvin are the only names on Udinese’s injury list. However, Arthur Atta and Lorenzo Lucca must serve a one-game ban for accumulated yellow cards, with Keinan Davis likely to take the latter’s place in attack.

Juventus vs Udinese Potential Starting Line-ups

Juventus (3-4-2-1): Di Gregorio; Gatti, Locatelli, Veiga; Costa, Luiz, McKennie, Weah; Gonzalez, Yildiz; Kolo Muani.

Udinese (3-5-1-1): Okoye; Kristensen, Bijol, Solet; Modesto, Payero, Karlstrom, Lovric, Kamara; Ekkelenkamp; Davis.

Juventus vs Udinese Prediction

Tudor can become only the third Juventus manager in the last 55 years to win each of their first four Serie A home games. Given Udinese’s notorious struggle in this fixture and a rather unenviable track record outside the Bluenergy Stadium, joining the illustrious company of Maximiliano Allegri and Maurizio Sarri should be a mere formality.