Juventus vs Udinese

Still hanging on to a vital top-four spot, Juventus prepare for their final home fixture of the Serie A campaign as they host Udinese in Turin on Sunday.

With Champions League qualification still on the line, the Bianconeri need all three points, while Udinese are simply playing out the season, already assured of a mid-table finish.

With two matches left, the race for fourth is incredibly tight, featuring four teams separated by just two points. Juventus currently sit in fourth with 64 points, tied with Lazio. Roma trail closely with 63, and Coppa Italia winners Bologna follow with 62.

Juve missed a chance to establish a three-point cushion last weekend. A red card to Pierre Kalulu proved costly in their clash with direct rivals Lazio, as Randal Kolo Muani’s opener was canceled out by a last-gasp equalizer following the sending-off.

It was another frustrating draw for the Turin side, bringing their total to 16 league stalemates this season—just one shy of their all-time record from 1955-56.

Still, they’ve turned around their home form, winning seven of their last eight Serie A games at the Allianz Stadium, following a stretch of seven draws in nine. Interim boss Igor Tudor has a perfect home record and could join an elite group of Juve coaches—Max Allegri (2014) and Maurizio Sarri (2019)—to win their first four home games in charge.

History is on their side too: Juventus have beaten Udinese in 12 of their last 15 league meetings, averaging 2.3 goals per match. Udinese have managed just one goal across the last six head-to-head encounters and were beaten 2-0 in November. However, they did grab a surprise 1-0 victory in Turin in February last year.

Coach Kosta Runjaic has already steered Udinese to safety, in stark contrast to last season’s final-day scramble, allowing the team to wind down pressure-free. Yet, their 2-1 defeat to relegated Monza last weekend—despite Lorenzo Lucca finally breaking his scoring drought—dashed any hopes of a top-ten finish, with Como now four points ahead.

Interestingly, Udinese have a strong track record in their final away games, winning five of the last seven and scoring in each of the past 24. They'll aim to continue that trend before wrapping up their season at home against Fiorentina.