Juve's Saturday night showdown in Tuscany at newly-promoted Pisa's Arena Garibaldi is an opportunity for the Bianconeri to continue their winning momentum under head coach Luciano Spalletti, having collected six victories from their past seven matches.
Spalletti has masterminded back-to-back triumphs over highflying rivals Bologna and AS Roma, to set fifth in the Serie A table and with a favorable run ahead they will be pushing the top three sides of AC Milan, Inter Milan and Napoli.
Despite a wobbly start to the campaign under Igor Tudor, Spalletti have made them slick once more. Juventus have picked up eight wins from their 16 league games, but now look both creative and fluid.
Although Spalletti inherited a lightweight squad, patience in his tactical approach is paying off with the Bianconeri showing scope for improvement in the second half of the season. However, Juventus have seven players on the treatment table.
What's at stake
The visit to Pisa does not appear too daunting, as the Serie a newcomers are languishing in 19th spot having amassed just 11 points this term with only one victory. Yet they have become draw specialists with eight stalemates, and arguably their squad is still adjusting to the top tier.
Precious points are up for grabs, with both clubs eager to bag all three points. Pisa are desperate to start moving away from the relegation zone, while Juve are among the sides aiming to secure a top four finish that secures Champions League soccer next season.
Recent form
Pisa’s wayward season has been reflected by missed opportunities and narrow margins, with a winless run from their past five Serie A games. They will be feeling the pressure until they can drum up maximum points.
Head coach Alberto Gilardino continues to search for both balance and to deal with their defensive fragility, having conceded 22 league goals. Their 2-2 at fellow strugglers Cagliari showed their attacking promise, although they have only found the back of the net a dozen times in Serie A, while their only top flight victory was at home to Cremonese in early November.
Pisa's 1-0 win has been their only Serie A goal this term, which is fewer than any other team in the five major European leagues.
Juventus are on a roll, with a resilent display to register an impressive 2-1 success over Roma inside the Allianz Stadium in their last outing.
Their only blip in seven matches was the 2-1 reversal at defending champions Napoli, when the Bianconeri were completely outplayed during arguably the most one-sided first half involving Juventus this century.
Spalletti’s sides are more cohesive and appear well drilled, displaying controlled possession and better defensive organisation in recent outings. There is a renewed emphasis from the former Napoli and Italy head coach on attack, discipline and structure.
Team news
Spalletti will be forced to shake up his starting XI with a plethora of pivotal players sidelined, with a potential rare start together of attacking pair Jonathan David and Lols Openda.
Juve are missing shotstopper Carlo Pinsoglio (leg), defenders Juan Cabal (muscle), Federico Gatti (knee) and Daniele Rugani (calf), midfielder Weston McKennie (muscle) and winger Francisco Conceicao (muscle).
Pisa have right wingers Juan Cuadrado (muscle) and Calvin Stengs (muscle) injured, while a pair of Serie A loanees, midfielder Ebenezer Akinsanmiro (Nigeria) and striker M'Bala Nzola (Angola) are on international duty at the 2025 African Cup of Nations.
Expected lineups
Juventus possible starting XI:
Di Gregorio - Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly - Koopmeiners, Locatelli, Thuram, Cambiaso - Yildiz - Openda -David
Pisa possible starting XI:
Semper - Canestrelli, Caracciolo, Bonfanti - Toure, Vural, Piccinini, Aebischer, Angori - Tramoni, Meister
Head-to-head
These sides have only faced off 14 times, with Juventus having collected 10 victories and been held to a stalemate four times. Juventus have bagged nine goals in their past two meetings.
Both teams have scored in their past nine clashes, with 37 goals scored. Roberto Baggio was the last Juve player to score a top tier goal at Pisa, which was in 1991.
OldJuve Prediction
Pisa 0 Juventus 4
Despite been injury ravaged, Juventus should stroll to victory although Pisa show a tendency to settle for draws rather than push for wins.
The fact that Pisa have failed to score in nine Serie A matches and scored only once at home, points to Spalletti setting up his team to press forward and counterattack.
Juve are on a roll with the odds stacked heavily in their favor. Pisa will be seeking to register their first-ever top tier win in the last match of the calendar year having lost five times and drawn seven.