Semi-finalists last season, Juventus kick off a new Coppa Italia campaign on Thursday evening, when they welcome Serie A strugglers Salernitana to Turin.
A quarter-final tie against Frosinone awaits the winners, and Juve are ultimately intent on lifting the Coppa for a 15th time in May.
Match preview
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Winners in 2022, when victory over Atalanta sealed a record-extending 14th Coppa triumph, Juventus lost out in a Derby d'Italia semi-final versus Inter Milan last term, and they are now back on the trail of more silverware.
Exiled from UEFA competitions this season due to a one-year ban, the Bianconeri have been left to concentrate on chasing old foes Inter at the top of Serie A, and after coming through two years of strife they are still in contention to complete a domestic double.
Returning coach Max Allegri has slowly imposed his authority on an ailing club, which has now ground their way to 13 league games without defeat and sits just two points shy of top spot in the standings.
Most recently, Juve prevailed in Serie A's Saturday night kickoff, as the Scudetto contenders saw off Roma's resistance at the Allianz Stadium; Adrien Rabiot struck just after half time, separating two teams that prefer to sit deep and counter.
Having won no less than 12 league games by a 1-0 scoreline throughout 2023, Juventus have certainly rediscovered an ability to keep opponents at bay and then strike when the opportunity arises: they have also conceded no more than once in each of their last 14 home matches, shipping just seven goals in the process.
Allegri's men now take such form into Thursday's tie, which is the first game of a double-header against Salernitana, as Juve will travel down to Salerno for a Serie A contest this weekend.
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Despite drawing 2-2 on their last league visit to Turin - when Juventus equalised at the death and three players were sent off during stoppage time - Salernitana were unable to match such an effort last February, as they were beaten 3-0 at Stadio Arechi.
The Campanian club still went on to avoid relegation, but this season's struggle against the drop looks more like the challenge of 2022, when they seemed dead and buried at Christmas but somehow pulled off a great escape from the Serie A trapdoor.
Even after Saturday's precious 1-0 win against relegation rivals Hellas Verona, Pippo Inzaghi's side are still stuck to the foot of the table - yet, posting a long-awaited away victory at least boosts morale.
Six defeats and two draws from eight road trips this season had left Salernitana searching for their first away success since January 2023, but that drought has finally been ended ahead of a tough cup tie in midweek.
Having exited in the first round last year, the Granata have seen off Serie B sides Ternana and Sampdoria to reach the last 16, where ex-Juve striker Inzaghi will take on his old club with a quarter-final place at stake.
Team News
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Although his squad have been spared an energy-sapping series of midweek European fixtures, Max Allegri should still take the opportunity to rest some integral players in the Coppa Italia.
Juve's first-choice XI will instead line up in Sunday's Serie A clash at Stadio Arechi, so rising stars such as Samuel Iling-Junior, Dean Huijsen and Turkish teenager Kenan Yildiz could be involved on Thursday evening.
Manuel Locatelli will be suspended at the weekend so may be retained in central midfield, while Andrea Cambiaso is back from a ban and available to start on either flank; injured trio Moise Kean, Alex Sandro and Mattia De Sciglio are still sidelined.
Salernitana, meanwhile, will again be without star striker Boulaye Dia, but having recently made his first start for the Salerno club in over two years, Nigerian centre-forward Simy has been reintegrated by Pippo Inzaghi and started against Verona last week; compatriot Chukwu Ikwuemesi provides his main competition to feature up front.
Inzaghi's options elsewhere are compromised by injuries to Lorenzo Pirola (thigh) and Juventus youth product Grigoris Kastanos (knee), while another first-team regular, Lassana Coulibaly, is heading off to represent Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Inspirational goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa could return from a shoulder problem, though, and take a place on the visitors' bench.
Juventus possible starting lineup:
Perin; Rugani, Huijsen, Gatti; Weah, Miretti, Locatelli, Nicolussi Caviglia, Cambiaso; Chiesa, Milik
Salernitana possible starting lineup:
Costil; Sambia, Lovato, Gyomber, Bradaric; Bohinen, Legowski; Botheim, Martegani, Tchaouna; Ikwuemesi
We say: Juventus 3-1 Salernitana
Three days before they lock horns again in the league, two unfamiliar XIs may line up at the Allianz Stadium, where Juventus are set to secure victory and ease through to the Coppa quarter-finals. Aside from turning over lowly Verona last time out, Salernitana registered barely a handful of points on the road in 2023, and that trend will continue on Thursday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
