Juventus will be visited by Udinese on Sunday with the defending champions 10 points behind Serie A leaders AC Milan in sixth but with one game in hand. Andrea Pirlo's men have won three of their last six league outings but slumped to an alarming 3-0 home defeat to Fiorentina in the final fixture of 2020.
Udinese are without a win in three but also have three victories from their last six matches and only three Serie A sides boast a tighter defense with 17 goals conceded. Unfortunately, the visitors are also one of the least potent attacking forces in the Italian top-flight with just 14 goals scored -- just over one every 90 minutes played so far.
Here is how you can watch the match and what to know:
Viewing information
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 3
- Time: 2:45 p.m. ET
- Location: Juventus Stadium -- Turin, Italy
- TV: ESPN+
- Live stream: ESPN+
- Odds: Juve -225; Draw +333; Udinese +700 (via William Hill Sportsbook)
Storylines
Juve: One win from their final three fixtures in 2020 means that Juve start 2021 at least seven points behind leaders Milan. Draws have been the Italian giants' biggest problem domestically this season with six already on the board which is more than any other club in the top half of the table.
With Udinese also one of the tightest teams at the back in Serie A and Juve the lowest scorers in the top seven, Pirlo's men need to avoid another draw here.
Udinese: If Udinese could muster more than one goal per game with their current defensive solidity, they would probably be closer to the European places.
Two of Udinese's four wins this season have come on the road with one away at Lazio while two more points have been acquired away from home through draws. Despite a run of three without a win, Luca Gotti's men have still lost just once in their last seven appearances.
Prediction
Udinese could prove a tough nut to crack for Juve but they will be determined to start 2021 with a win ahead of their meetings against AC and later Inter Milan. Pick: Juve 2, Udinese 1
