Juventus 2025/26 Preview: Can Yildiz and David Fire Bianconeri Back to the Top? | OneFootball

Juventus avoided the embarrassment of failing to secure Champions League football by the skin of their teeth last season.

A 3-2 victory over relegated Venezia on the final day allowed them to edge out Roma to the coveted fourth spot by a single point.

Interim manager Igor Tudor helped spare Juventus’ blushes after replacing Thiago Motta in March.

Despite seeking a more high-profile option for the bench, the record-time Italian champions will stick with the 47-year-old this season.

After five years without a Scudetto, lifting the Serie A title for the first time since 2019/20 will be the ultimate goal.

However, competition is as fierce as it gets, with reigning holders Napoli and last season’s runners-up, Inter Milan, boasting better chances on paper.

Without further ado, here is our Juventus season preview for 2025/26.

Juventus Fixtures

Tudor’s men entertain Parma at the Allianz Stadium on the opening weekend before heading to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris to encounter Genoa in their first away game of the season.

Juventus’ first formidable test arrives immediately after September’s international break as they face Inter on home turf in the first Derby d’Italia of the campaign.

That fixture serves to kick off a rough patch for the Turin giants, with matches against Hellas Verona (A), Atalanta (H), AC Milan (H), Como (A) and Lazio (A) set to follow.

After two low-profile clashes against Udinese (H) and Cremonese (A) in late October and early November, they meet Torino in the Derby della Mole on November 9, with the reverse clash scheduled for May 25.

December brings two more mouth-watering showdowns against Napoli (A) and Roma (H), while they close out the calendar year away to newly-promoted Pisa.

Lecce arrive in Turin at the start of 2026, though Juventus’ first challenging task in the new year comes in late January when they welcome Napoli at the Allianz Stadium.

Back-to-back games against Lazio (H) and Inter (A) in early February could set the tone for the rest of the season.

From there on, the path should be relatively straightforward for Juventus until they trade tackles with Milan at the San Siro in late April.

Manager

Juventus’ decision to continue with Tudor has raised a few eyebrows, given his limited track record at the highest level.

Except for winning the Croatian Cup with Hajduk Split in 2013, Tudor has failed to secure major silverware in his managerial career.

Saving Udinese from relegation in 2018 remains his most notable achievement in Serie A.

However, after guiding Juventus to a top-four finish in his first season at the club, the Bianconeri’s first foreign manager since Didier Deschamps in 2006/07 deserves the benefit of the doubt.

Known for his intensive style of play, Tudor will hope to instil greater discipline as Juventus chase a long-awaited return to the summit of Italian football.

Whether his defensive-oriented approach can withstand the attacking firepower of Serie A’s leading title contenders will be the real test of his credentials.

Transfers

A raft of exciting signings made by Juventus last summer failed to yield results in the 2024/25 season, prompting the club to change its transfer policy this year.

They’ve been far more careful this summer, though they used most of their summer budget on making several loan deals permanent.

Francisco Conceicao, Michele Di Gregorio, Pierre Kalulu, Lloyd Kelly and Nico Gonzalez have signed permanent contracts in Turin, costing the Bianconeri over €100 million.

Marquee summer arrival Jonathan David has joined the club on a Bosman deal after running down his contract at Lille.

Juventus has also signed Portuguese full-back Joao Mario from Porto for a reported €12m fee.

They have been quite active on the outgoing front. Nicolo Rovella has completed his permanent transfer to Lazio. The same goes for Luca Pellegrini.

Nicolo Fagioli has joined Fiorentina, while Alberto Costa moved to Porto to free up space for Mario.

The Turin heavyweights have surprisingly decided to sell teenage sensation Samuel Mbangula to Werder Bremen for €10m.

Despite faring reasonably well last season, Tim Weah has returned to Ligue 1 to team up with Marseille on a season-long loan.

Starting XI

Judging by Juventus’ pre-season friendlies and the closing stages of last season, Tudor appears set on maintaining his signature 3-4-2-1 formation.

Di Gregorio has cemented his place in goal, meaning Mattia Perin will remain the second choice.

Gleison Bremer returns to the heart of the defence after missing almost the entire 2024/25 campaign due to a knee injury.

Kalulu and Kelly should partner up with the Brazilian at the back.

Andrea Cambiaso and Mario are the likeliest options on the flanks, with Manuel Locatelli and Khephren Thuram expected to anchor the midfield double pivot.

Conceicao and Kenan Yildiz are the front-runners for the two attacking spots behind David, who will replace the exit-linked Dusan Vlahovic.

(3-4-2-1): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly; Cambiaso, Thuram, Locatelli, Mario; Conceicao, Yildiz; David.

Star Player

Yildiz established himself as the focal point of Juventus’ attack last season, defying his young age to become one of Serie A’s fiercest forwards.

Although he was ever-present in the starting line-up, making 35 league appearances, the 20-year-old often struggled to convert his dazzling performances into tangible goal contributions.

He only netted seven goals and added five assists last term, and if he is to become a true leader of this team, that’s where he must improve this season.

Even if it doesn’t happen, Yildiz’s ball-carrying ability and technical prowess will still make him a central figure in Juventus’ frontline.

Prediction

Juventus’ best finish since lifting their last Scudetto was in 2023/24, when they finished third, but they have failed to mount any serious title challenge over the past five years.

With Napoli reinforcing their title-winning squad and Inter determined to wrestle back the crown, there’s a feeling the Bianconeri will face an uphill battle to keep pace with the top contenders.

However, they will eventually fall short, although another top-four finish remains a distinct possibility.

Predicted finish: 3rd.

How to watch Serie A live this season

DAZN has the rights to show Serie A fixtures in the UK, Ireland and US. Here is more information on how to live stream Serie A matches wherever you are in the world.