Coppa Italia: Juventus v Udinese opens last 16, Spalletti eyes quarters | OneFootball

The Coppa Italia heats up as the round of 16 officially kicks off with the clash between Juventus and Udinese, scheduled for 9 PM at the Allianz Stadium and broadcast live on Italia 1.

Coppa Italia, Juventus-Udinese opens the round of 16: Spalletti aims for the quarterfinals without Vlahovic

For Luciano Spalletti, fresh off a 2-1 win over Cagliari and his first home victory as the Bianconeri coach, this is an important test during a particularly delicate moment of the season.

However, the coach will have to contend with a significant absence: Vlahovic will not be available for the match. Spalletti will therefore need to reshape the attack for a match that, in addition to granting a spot in the quarterfinals against Atalanta or Genoa, comes just a few days before the league clash with Napoli.

Juventus faces the test of rotation: Spalletti manages players and priorities

Three days after the home victory over Cagliari, Juventus returns in front of their fans with the goal of confirming the technical progress that the new coach is trying to consolidate. The path of growth also passes through these challenges: in the last edition, defending champions Juventus were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Empoli, and Spalletti does not want to repeat that mistake.

Rotation, however, is inevitable. Managing commitments and the emergency in attack will force Spalletti to choose carefully. “Up front, we might see Openda and David together,” leaks from the Bianconeri camp, with the alternative of alternating them ahead of the big match with Conte.

In midfield, there will be room for a younger and more dynamic line, with Koopmeiners, Miretti, Joao Mario, and Kostic, while in defense, in the 3-4-2-1 formation, Gatti could start from the first minute.

Udinese on the rise: Runjaic seeks an upset at the Stadium

Runjaic’s Udinese arrives in Turin with renewed enthusiasm after a convincing 2-0 win over Parma. The team has regained rhythm, confidence, and above all a key player in Zaniolo, who already scored at the Stadium in the previous league match won 3-1 by Juventus when Brambilla was still on the bench.

The coach is now considering some changes from the first minute: “Palma could be a solution to increase quality in build-up play,” is one of the ideas taking shape. In midfield, possible space for Miller and Ekkelenkamp, while up front the Bravo–Buksa duo remains the favorite.

Probable lineups

Juventus (3-4-1-2) Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Gatti, Kelly; Joao Mario, Koopmeiners, Miretti, Kostic; Adzic; David, Openda. Coach: Spalletti.

Udinese (3-5-2) Sava; Goglichidze, Solet, Palma; Ehizibue, Miller, Piotrowski, Ekkelenkamp, Modesto; Bravo, Buksa. Coach: Runjaic.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.