Salernitana can leapfrog Juventus in the table by beating them in Serie A on Tuesday evening.
The visitors will make the trip to Salerno down in 13th place after being deducted 15 points last month due to financial irregularities.
Match preview
Salernitana returned from the World Cup by gaining only one point from four matches, which included an 8-2 thrashing at the hands of Atalanta, but Davide Nicola’s side recovered to win 2-1 away to Lecce last weekend.
I Granata earned an early two-goal lead at Stadio Comunale Via del Mare through strikes from Boulaye Dia and Tonny Vilhena inside the opening 20 minutes, but they faced a comeback from the hosts after Gabriel Strefezza pulled one back just three minutes later.
However, Salernitana held their nerve to earn three crucial points, which moved them eight points clear of Hellas Verona inside the relegation zone. That gap could be cut should Verona earn a positive result against Lazio on Monday evening, but it will remain a healthy one either way.
Having earned a point away to Juventus earlier in the season after a controversial 2-2 draw, Nicola will fancy his side’s chances of piling on the misery for their opponents on Tuesday.
Indeed, it is turning into a season to forget for Juventus, who have only picked up one point from three matches since learning about their heavy points deduction.
The club have appealed the decision and may yet see it reduced given the unprecedented nature of the extent of it, but either way their chances of qualifying for the Champions League via the league appear to be in tatters after losing 2-0 at home to Monza last weekend.
However, Massimiliano Allegri’s side remain in the hunt in the Europa League and the Coppa Italia, with a two-legged tie against Nantes in the former awaiting them this month before they face Inter Milan in the semi-finals of Italy’s primary domestic cup in April.
As such, Allegri may prioritise those competitions above the league, especially with the winners of the Europa League automatically qualifying for next season’s Champions League. That said, the 55-year-old will want to improve confidence within his ranks by returning to winning ways in Serie A as quickly as possible.
Team News
Salernitana will remain without defenders Federico Fazio and Norbert Gyomber due to muscle injuries, with both players unlikely to return until later in February.
Giulio Maggiore and Pasquale Mazzocchi are both doubts due to muscle and knee issues respectively, with neither likely to be risked from the start against Juventus.
Juventus, meanwhile, will travel without Paul Pogba and Arkadiusz Milik due to muscle injuries, while Leonardo Bonucci and Kaio Jorge are both unlikely to feature.
Allegri may retain the bulk of the starting XI that dispatched Lazio 1-0 in the Coppa Italia last Thursday, although Wojciech Szczesny should return in goal at the expense of Mattia Perin.
Salernitana possible starting lineup:
Ochoa; Troost-Ekong, Bronn, Bradaric; Coulibaly, Bohinen, Vilhena; Candreva, Piatek, Dia
Juventus possible starting lineup:
Szczesny; Danilo, Bremer, Sandro; Cuadrado, Fagiolo, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic; Chiesa, Vlahovic