Two unbeaten teams meet at Stadio Castellani on Saturday evening, as Empoli play host to Serie A giants Juventus.
While Juve have made an impressive start to life under new management - and are yet to concede a single goal - the Tuscan club are surprisingly thriving at the start of their 2024-25 campaign.
Match preview
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Despite breaking up for international football with a grim goalless draw against Roma, in which only two shots on target were recorded, Juventus have begun the Thiago Motta era with both a new look and a more proactive approach.
The Bianconeri made a sparkling start to the new season, scoring six times without reply to go top of the very early Serie A standings after two games, as several summer signings and youth products were introduced into Motta's starting XI.
Now level with Udinese and two old foes - Inter Milan and Torino - on seven points, Motta's men will try to get back to winning ways this weekend, ahead of a much-anticipated return to the Champions League.
Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven are due in Turin next week, but first Juve aim to keep clean sheets in their first four Serie A matches for just a fifth time in their illustrious history.
Not only have they faced the fewest shots on target (two) throughout Europe's top five leagues this term, but the Bianconeri also boast the best shot-conversion rate in Italy's top flight (21%), plus the highest percentage of successful passes (90%).
Such efficiency should see Juve approach Saturday's game full of confidence, as they seek a seventh win in eight trips to Stadio Castellani.
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Although Empoli have a woeful home record against Juventus, they did stun them with a 4-1 win in Tuscany less than two years ago, before holding out for a 1-1 draw in the teams' most recent encounter in January.
More pertinently, the Azzurri are unbeaten in 2024-25 so far, having followed a Coppa Italia success against Catanzaro with two draws and one eye-catching victory in Serie A.
Despite missing the presence of new boss Roberto D'Aversa on the touchline - due to his ban for a headbutting incident that ended his time at Lecce - a side that only just scrambled to safety last term have started well.
Undefeated in their first three top-flight fixtures for only the second time ever, Empoli drew with Monza and Bologna either side of a surprise 2-1 away win over Roma.
Stretching back to their great escape at the end of last season, they are unbeaten through six home games in all competitions - winning four times in the process - so Juventus may be made to scrap for three points on Saturday.
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Team News
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After both missing some action before the international break, Khephren Thuram and Timothy Weah seem to have overcome injuries in time for this week's Serie A resumption, while Nico Gonzalez should be ready to vie for his first start.
Thiago Motta can also call upon another summer signing, Teun Koopmeiners, who was not picked by the Netherlands following a drawn-out transfer saga that ultimately took him to Turin; however, fellow new boy Sergio Conceicao is ruled out by a muscular problem.
While Motta has sprung the odd selection surprise by introducing youngsters such as Nicolo Savona and Samuel Mbangula, his first-choice striker is clear: Dusan Vlahovic has scored four Serie A goals against Empoli to date, including his first brace for Juventus.
Meanwhile, Empoli's unlikely top marksman this term is Ghanaian winger Emmanuel Gyasi, who has scored in both of his last two matches after netting the equaliser against Bologna last time out.
Head coach Roberto D'Aversa - who continues to serve a touchline ban - will be without Samuele Perisan, Szymon Zurkowski, Tyronne Ebuehi and Jacopo Fazzini due to injury, but Giuseppe Pezzella has been passed fit.
Late transfer-window arrival Mattia De Sciglio may make his debut against his former club - either on the right of a three-man defence or as a wing-back.
Empoli possible starting lineup:
Vasquez; De Sciglio, Ismajli, Viti; Gyasi, Henderson, Grassi, Pezzella; Solbakken, Esposito; Colombo
Juventus possible starting lineup:
Di Gregorio; Savona, Gatti, Bremer, Cabal; Locatelli, Luiz; Cambiaso, Koopmeiners, Yildiz; Vlahovic
We say: Empoli 0-2 Juventus
New-look Juventus should resume normal service this weekend, seeing off Empoli and keeping the pressure on likely title rivals Inter. With more of their summer acquisitions now fit and fully integrated, the visitors' squad is quite formidable.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
