Ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Parma, Juventus manager Igor Tudor is only expected to introduce a single change to the starting lineup that took on Atalanta in their last pre-season friendly.
Due to their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup, the Bianconeri had a relatively brief pre-season, only playing four friendlies.
Nevertheless, Tudor already has a clear vision regarding his lineup, especially after registering positive results.
How Juventus will line up against Parma on Sunday
On Saturday, the Croatian manager decided to field a strong starting XI against Atalanta. In the end, the Turin-based giants prevailed in Bergamo by two goals to one, courtesy of Jonathan David and Dusan Vlahovic.
According to Il Corriere dello Sport via TuttoJuve, that contest provided an important indicator on how the team will line up, at least in the opening rounds of the season.
Locatelli scoring against Roma
(Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)
In fact, the Roman newspaper expects Tudor to maintain the same lineup when they host Parma on the opening day of the Serie A campaign, with only one exception.
Naturally, Michele Di Gregorio will start in goal, while Gleison Bremer will be making his first competitive appearance in more than 10 months. The Brazilian will operate at the heart of the three-man backline, supported by Federico Gatti and Lloyd Kelly, while Pierre Kalulu will be reduced to the bench.
Manuel Locatelli to regain his place in the lineup
In the middle of the park, Manuel Locatelli will replace Teun Koopmeiners. Although the Dutchman didn’t embarrass himself in the deeper role, the club captain and Khephren Thuram remain ahead of him in the pecking order.
Despite his uncertain future, Nico Gonzalez is tipped to start as a right wingback ahead of Joao Mario who has been impressive in pre-season. On the other hand, Andrea Cambiaso is a lock on the left flank.
Finally, David will lead the line, with Kenan Yildiz and Francisco Conceicao acting as his support crew.
Juventus expected XI (3-4-2-1): Di Gregorio; Gatti, Bremer, Kelly; Gonzalez, Locatelli, Thuram, Cambiaso; Conceicao, Yildiz; David
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Michel Sakr
Michel is a football journalist based in Beirut who has been a die-hard Juventus supporter since 1996. He is a Law graduate and a member of the Beirut Bar Association. In addition to writing for Juve FC, he is also the Head Writer for The Laziali and a Featured Writer on other websites including Stretty News, and The Cult of Calcio.