Serie A's Matchday 1 carries over to Sunday as potential title favorites Juventus travel to Udinese. The teams appear headed in the opposite direction as the season gets underway, with The Old Lady expected to compete for the league title while the hosts look like they could be headed for relegation after losing key pieces and failing to replace them.
For a look at Saturday's Serie A scores and action, click here. Here's our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
Storylines
Udinese: This is a side that figures to flirt with relegation big time this season following the departure of midfielder Rodrigo de Paul to Atletico Madrid unless Lazar Samadrdzic can come in from RB Leipzig and be a game changer at just 19 years of age. This team lost a lot and didn't really replenish the squad with much of anything. They are going to need some of their younger players really carry the load, and they'll find out plenty about themselves on Matchday 1. A point here, which will be tough, will feel like a victory. But they must prioritize defense and close down quickly, or it could be over by the half.
Juventus: Expectations have risen with the return of Massimo Allegri as coach, but they have done very little in the transfer window in terms of this season's squad before getting Manuel Locatelli from Sassuolo. But that isn't a bad thing when you consider the base of players they have and looking for them to gel after an underwhelming season. We'll get an early look this season at what the boss thinks is his best starting XI and whether Weston McKennie will be a part, but the midfielder won't play in this one due to suspension. However, rumors continue to swirl about foreign clubs wanting to sign the American, but sources tell CBS Sports that the expectation is for him to be at Juventus this season and to play plenty. Let's see how he responds to a new coach and needing to impress him in big spots to earn those minutes with him looking to get minutes on Matchday 2.
How to watch and odds
Date: Sunday, Aug. 22 | Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
Location: Dacia Arena -- Udine, Italy
TV: CBS Sports Network | Live stream: Paramount+
Odds: Udinese +650; Draw +330; Juventus -220 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Prediction
Paulo Dybala and Cristiano Ronaldo are on the mark as Juve win in Massimo Allegri's return as coach. Pick: Juventus 2, Udinese 0
