Seeking consecutive league wins for the first time since November, Juventus visit Serie A strugglers Como on Friday evening.
Juve head for Stadio Sinigaglia after overcoming a calamitous start to beat Empoli last time out, while their hosts have just suffered back-to-back defeats.
Match preview
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Having previously lost to Napoli in Serie A and then Benfica in their final Champions League fixture, Juventus endured a dismal opening 15 minutes in last week's home game against an ailing Empoli side.
Former Juve defender Mattia De Sciglio scored an early opener for the Tuscan outfit, before Michele Di Gregorio conceded a penalty. However, the goalkeeper was redeemed when a prior handball was spotted by the VAR, and Juventus went on to turn the game on its head.
Benefiting from a large slice of fortune for his second goal, recent signing Randal Kolo Muani bagged a brace, and two further strikes during second-half stoppage time - when Empoli had been reduced to 10 men - then sealed the deal.
The Bianconeri can therefore register successive league victories for the first time in almost three months if they win on Friday, when three points would take them back above Lazio and into fourth place.
Due to an enormous number of draws, Thiago Motta's men have still won only nine of 23 top-flight matches this season, so their minimum objective of achieving Champions League qualification remains very much in the balance.
For that reason, only three points will do at Stadio Sinigaglia, where Juve aim to extend a 22-game unbeaten streak against Como in Serie A.
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Down the decades, Como have failed to win any of their last 10 home matches against Juventus, and the last time they conquered the Bianconeri in any Serie A fixture was way back in January 1952.
At the start of the Lariani's top-flight return, last August, they were beaten 3-0 by Juve in Turin; since then, they have slowly begun to find their feet.
Some improved form around the turn of the year took Cesc Fabregas and co out of the relegation zone, and they still have a two-point buffer to the bottom three despite taking nothing from their last two outings.
Making numerous moves - both in and out - within the winter transfer window, Como have welcomed several recruits to aid their bid for Serie A survival, but that investment has yet to bear fruit.
After losing to Atalanta BC in their final February fixture, the Lombardy club were then beaten in Bologna last weekend, and they have now failed to win any of their last eight away matches.
Nonetheless, since earning promotion from Serie B, Como have suffered only four home defeats, so they will hope to inflict just Juve's second league loss of the season.
Team News
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As first-choice centre-back Pierre Kalulu is sidelined by a muscular injury, January signing Renato Veiga made his Juventus debut last weekend, and the Chelsea loanee could continue to fill in on Friday evening.
Kalulu again joins long-term absentees Bremer, Juan Cabal and Arkadiusz Milik on the sidelines, and Andrea Cambiaso is still struggling with an ankle issue, but new boy Lloyd Kelly should be available after joining from Newcastle United.
Thiago Motta's main selection quandary regards his lone striker: top scorer Dusan Vlahovic has been benched of late but was sent on in the second half of last week's win and played alongside Randal Kolo Muani, netting his first league goal of 2025.
Kolo Muani - with three goals in two games so far - could become the first Juve player this century to score in his first three Serie A appearances.
Despite numerous arrivals - including Greek striker Anastasios Douvikas - Como's chief threat should still come from Nico Paz, who has found the net in each of his last four home games. The Real Madrid loanee has also completed the most dribbles (45) throughout Italy's top flight this season.
Elsewhere, Alieu Fadera must serve a suspension, and the hosts are still missing Alberto Moreno, Sergi Roberto, Alessandro Gabrielloni and Ignace Van der Brempt due to injury - in addition to new acquisition Mergim Vojvoda.
Maxence Caqueret, Alex Valle, Assane Diao and Jonathan Ikone have also been added to the squad during an ambitious mid-season recruitment drive, while misfiring Italy international Andrea Belotti has been sent on loan to Benfica.
Como possible starting lineup:
Butez; Engelhardt, Goldaniga, Dossena, Valle; Perrone, Caqueret; Strefezza, Paz, Diao; Cutrone
Juventus possible starting lineup:
Di Gregorio; Savona, Gatti, Veiga, McKennie; Locatelli, Thuram; Gonzalez, Koopmeiners, Yildiz; Kolo Muani
We say: Como 1-2 Juventus
While Como have the talent to defy Juventus on home turf, they are still bedding in several players and may find their leaky defence exploited again.
Recent events aside, Juve are notoriously tough to beat, so they can win by one and move back into Serie A's top four.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
