Juventus continue their pursuit of a top-four place on Sunday evening, as they host a mid-table Hellas Verona side managed by their former assistant coach.

Igor Tudor came out on top in the tactical battle with his Juve counterpart Max Allegri back in October, but the latter has a potentially game-changing new signing available as the hosts seek revenge.

Match preview

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Though Max Allegri has toiled long and hard behind the scenes to re-establish Juventus as a solid side defensively - and to impressive effect in recent weeks - his return to the Allianz Stadium hotseat has seen a lack of penalty area precision cost them a place in the Scudetto race.

Indeed, the last time the Bianconeri had scored fewer than 35 goals after 23 Serie A games came back in 1999-2000, so the mid-season signing of Capocannoniere contender Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina could prove the missing piece in the puzzle for Allegri's master plan.

Scorer of 17 goals already this term, the powerful centre-forward is set to either partner with or displace an underperforming Alvaro Morata in the side, and he joins fellow new recruit Denis Zakaria in the squad this week.

A dour goalless draw with Milan just before the international break sees Juventus currently sitting seven points adrift of the third-placed Rossoneri, but they are now within just a point of Atalanta, who are fourth.

Having won only six of their 11 home fixtures to date, Allegri's men are clear about where their priorities lie for the rest of the campaign - in which they are still alive in both the Coppa Italia and the Champions League, where they next face Sassuolo and Villarreal respectively.

Perhaps the perfect opponents are set to arrive in Turin this weekend, as Juve aim to improve their below-par form at the Allianz Stadium. Unbeaten in all 30 previous home matches against Verona in Serie A (winning 25), in the history of the Italian top flight no team has played more home games without ever losing against an opponent.

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While precedent certainly suggests that they are up against it, after a 2-1 win in the reverse fixture, Verona could now win both games in a Serie A season against Juventus for the very first time.

Furthermore, the Scaligeri are undefeated in their last four league matches versus this Sunday's opponents, and could become the first team since Sampdoria in 2013 to remain unbeaten in five consecutive games against the Old Lady.

Under former Juventus player and coach Igor Tudor, Verona have enjoyed an ascent of the table in recent months, and having come out on top in their last two league fixtures - against Sassuolo and Bologna - they could now win three successive Serie A games for the first time in nearly a decade.

Despite featuring as a defender during his playing days, Tudor's Verona have scored 43 goals in the league this season - a record for the club at this stage of the season.

However, they remain vulnerable to counter-attacks and can sometimes run out of steam late on, evidenced by the fact that in the last 15 minutes of play this term they have conceded some 15 goals - more than any other team.

Team News

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Juventus are expected to draft their big-money acquisition into the starting XI at the first possible opportunity, as Dusan Vlahovic comes in up front. It remains to be seen whether Alvaro Morata will join him in attack or instead be consigned to the bench.

While long-term injury victim Federico Chiesa could be joined by Alex Sandro, Mattia Perin and Federico Bernardeschi on the sidelines, and midfielder Manuel Locatelli must serve a suspension, Switzerland international Denis Zakaria is poised to make his debut in the Juve engine room.

With his future at the club still undecided, mercurial forward Paulo Dybala may have to make do with a substitute role, having incidentally failed to score in any of his last five games against Verona despite trying 27 shots on goal.

While Juventus welcome a born goalscorer into their side, their visitors from Veneto will have to find a suitable deputy for top scorer Giovanni Simeone on Sunday, as he misses the trip to Turin due to suspension.

The Argentinian striker has scored nearly a third of Verona's goals in Serie A this season - including a matchwinning double in the reverse fixture - and the Gialloblu have previously started five league matches without him and are yet to win.

Nikola Kalinic should adopt the lone forward's role, with support from Antonin Barak and Gianluca Caprari, while Pawel Dawidowicz, Juventus loanee Gianluca Frabotta and Martin Hongla - soon to return from Cameroon's recently concluded AFCON campaign - are unavailable to Igor Tudor.

Juventus possible starting lineup:
Szczesny; Danilo, De Ligt, Chiellini, Pellegrini; Arthur, Zakaria, Rabiot; Cuadrado, Vlahovic, Morata

Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:
Montipo; Casale, Gunter, Ceccherini; Faraoni, Tameze, Veloso, Lazovic; Barak, Caprari; Kalinic

We say: Juventus 2-1 Hellas Verona

A reversal of October's result is on the cards this time around, as Juventus have continued to improve at the back and now possess some formidable firepower.

While Hellas are likely to take an admirably progressive approach, they can be picked off defensively and will be without their most potent penalty box operator too.

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