Juventus Predicted XI at Udinese: Paulo Dybala an unquestioned starter

Juventus will face off against Udinese on Thursday evening, and here is how Maurizio Sarri could line his team up.

The Bianconeri got back to their winning ways on Monday night at the Allianz Stadium, withstand a late comeback from Lazio to hold on to a 2-1 victory. Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice, and Paulo Dybala stole the show after initially being listed as a substitute for Gonzalo Higuain.

Dybala surely won’t sit on the bench this Thursday at Udinese, though Juve will be without the suspended Leonardo Bonucci. Here’s how the Old Lady will likely line up in this game.

GK Wojciech Szczesny

The best goalkeeper in Serie A without a shadow of a doubt, Wojciech Szczesny provided another world-class save to preserve a full three points for Juventus against one-time Scudetto challengers Lazio. He is one of the first names on the team sheet.

LB Alex Sandro

Since returning from an injury, Alex Sandro has been shaky, though not quite as shaky as he was against Milan off the bench when he gifted a goal to the Rossoneri. A player of Sandro’s caliber should be doing better at left back, and he hasn’t provided Cristiano Ronaldo much attacking support either.

CB Matthijs de Ligt

Matthijs de Ligt will shift over to the left side of central defense with Leonardo Bonucci suspended. The Dutch center back has been the best player at the position in Serie A since the restart, and he’ll need to set a high bar against the speedy Kevin Lasagna and savvy Stefano Okaka.

CB Daniele Rugani

Giorgio Chiellini, as we saw against Sassuolo, is in no real condition to play, while Merih Demiral is likely still a couple of matches away from being able to return. So Daniele Rugani will start again in central defense, looking to recover from recent disasters, including a particularly woeful showing at the San Siro.

RB Juan Cuadrado

One of Juve’s best players, Juan Cuadrado put in another massive shift in Monday’s win over Lazio. The experienced wide man is always making crucial interventions defensively, running nonstop, and creating chances for others. He makes the Bianconeri tick.

CM Adrien Rabiot

Although he didn’t score vs. Lazio, Adrien Rabiot did have another great run forward into the penalty box with a shot on target. The French central midfielder is locking down that left midfield spot over the more limited Blaise Matuidi.

CM Miralem Pjanic

He should be back to start in the regista role on Thursday at Udinese. When Miralem Pjanic is in the lineup, he makes things happen. Pjanic is the best passer in this Juve side, and it shows on matchdays.

CM Rodrigo Bentancur

Rodrigo Bentancur looks far more comfortable on the right side than in the regista role, as his running and defensive work in recovering balls stand out more in a wide midfield role. He’ll need to provide a lot of industry against Udinese.

LW Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo has benefited a lot from penalties this season, but he should also be praised for how excellent he’s been at burying opportunity after opportunity from the spot. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he added to his goal-scoring tally at Udinese.

CF Paulo Dybala

At this point, Paulo Dybala needs to be a lock for the starting lineup in every game, just as there’s no question that Cristiano Ronaldo is a regular starter. Dybala is as important to Juventus as Ronaldo, and he’s been even more impressive than the Portuguese forward since the restart. Maurizio Sarri cannot afford to snub him from the XI again.

RW Federico Bernardeschi

Douglas Costa couldn’t take advantage of a rare start against Lazio, so Federico Bernardeschi will almost assuredly start now that he’s returned from a one-game suspension after accruing too many yellow cards. The Juventini will not get their hopes up for a strong performance from Bernardeschi.