Juventus vs Frosinone
Allianz Stadium forms the backdrop for a must-win Serie A clash between out-of-form Juventus and beleaguered Frosinone.
Not long ago, Juventus seemed poised to challenge Inter Milan’s title credentials until the final day, but a four-game winless Serie A streak (D2, L2) has spoiled their plans. Now stranded nine points adrift of runaway league leaders, Massimiliano Allegri’s side can focus on returning to the Champions League after a season-long absence. The impending Allianz Stadium return would usually be a significant morale boost, yet after five consecutive home wins in all competitions, ‘I Bianconeri’ have gone winless in their last two (D1, L1). A lack of firepower up top saw the Turin outfit score only once in those two matches. However, they’ve been nothing short of prolific against Frosinone, netting 2+ goals in their last five competitive H2Hs, including a 4-0 thumping on this ground in January’s Coppa Italia assignment.
In the meantime, Frosinone’s rough patch has brought manager Eusebio Di Francesco under heavy scrutiny, with the visitors commencing this matchday only three points clear of the bottom three. Three consecutive league defeats in the build-up to this trip carry most of the blame, but what hurts more is the manner in which they lost those games. AC Milan, Fiorentina, and Roma have all netted 3+ goals against the Canaries, contributing to the division’s worst defensive record (52 goals conceded). With 58% of those goals arriving on the road (30/52), it’s barely surprising they’re one of only three Serie A sides yet to pick up a win on hostile turf this season (D3, L9). Then, it’s unsurprising that six of their seven away top-flight matches against current top-half sides yielded multi-goal margin defeats.