Juventus vs Como Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 Italian Serie A
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
A meeting between Thiago Motta and Cesc Fabregas would have meant an intriguing midfield battle in the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League in the noughties and 2010s but now it is the managerial dugout of the first game of the 2024/25 season in Serie A.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Monday 19th August, 2024 - UK – 7:45pm / US ET – 2:45pm / US PT – 11:45am
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – TNT Sports OR Not televised / US – Select matches will be televised on CBS Sports so it is worth checking their schedule
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – discovery+ OR Cannot be streamed / US – Paramount+
JUVENTUS PREVIEW: THE NEW ERA OF JUVE
Juventus’ unofficial motto throughout their history has been something along the lines of ‘winning isn’t everything, it is the only thing’ but the Old Lady may well have ditched those beliefs this season as they try and move away from the old guard and the win at all costs mentality to something more process-driven and modern.
Thiago Motta led Bologna to a historic UEFA Champions League qualification last season but he departed the club for the Bianconeri over the summer and Juve have added some freshness to their squad with the arrivals of Douglas Luiz and Khephren Thuram in midfield as well as Michele De Gregorio and Juan Cabal.
COMO PREVIEW: AMBITIOUS, LUXURIOUS COMO
In a picture-perfect setting, the ambitious project of Como has risen to the top-flight for the first time since 1959. Oisin Roberts was officially in charge last season with player-coach Cesc Fabregas yet to fully complete his coaching badges but the former Spain international is now the out and out head coach with Roberts becoming Head of Development at the club.
They have embarked upon an ambitious recruitment drive over the summer, too, with some big names arriving at the club such as Pepe Reina, Alberto Moreno, Raphael Varane and Andrea Belotti. They already possessed a squad probably capable of surviving in Serie A so they may be aiming a bit higher than simply avoiding the drop this season.
JUVENTUS TEAM NEWS: FIT AND FRESH
Thiago Motta is dealing with just a couple of absentees for this weekend’s visit of newly-promoted Como with midfielder Fabio Miretti and Serbian international Filip Kostic both expected to be sidelined for some time.
It will be intriguing to see how the former Italy international configures his eleven with a potentially completely new midfield partnership of Douglas Luiz and Khephren Thuram debuting at the J Stadium.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Cambiaso, Gatti, Bremer, Danilo; Douglas Luiz, Thuram; Weah, Locatelli, Yildiz; Vlahovic
UNAVAILABLE: Miretti (Injured), Kostic (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
COMO TEAM NEWS: NO VARANE
Frustratingly for Como, their biggest name signing of the summer, former Real Madrid and Manchester United centre-back Raphael Varane, is unavailable for this weekend and probably for a while with a knee injury.
Cesc Fabregas opted for a 4-2-3-1 system in their Coppa Italia first round penalty shootout defeat to Sampdoria last week and he is expected to persist with that for this weekend.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Pepe Reina; Kovacik, Dossena, Barba, Alberto Moreno; Mazzitelli, Braunoder; Strefezza, Cutrone, Da Cunha; Belotti
UNAVAILABLE: Varane (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
JUVENTUS VS COMO PREDICTION
The expectation is that these are two of the more forward thinking and progressive teams to watch in Italian football this season with two coaches that will have an insistence on playing proactive football. Juventus will have to adapt to Thiago Motta’s relatively complex style of football, whilst Cesc Fabregas is, officially at least, also taking charge of his first game. Como will be confident of hurting a potentially open Juve defence but the hosts should still get themselves over the line.
JUVENTUS VS COMO TIP: JUVENTUS TO WIN & BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE
