Allianz Stadium forms the backdrop for a high-stakes Serie A clash between the underachieving heavyweights Juventus and Napoli. Sunday’s fixture could be a ‘make-or-break’ test for home manager Luciano Spalletti, whose future in Turin is hanging by a thread.

Spalletti could not have imagined a worse way to celebrate his 50th match in charge of Juventus as Genoa beat the record-time Italian champions 2-0 in midweek Serie A action, leaving them a whopping 11 points behind joint leaders Lazio and Inter. Already a year into his tenure at the Allianz, the former Napoli boss has largely failed to meet expectations.

Another poor performance from Juventus could spell the end of Spalletti’s reign, with the Bianconeri enduring their worst nine-game Serie A start since 2016/17. They’ve amassed just 14 points this term, the same as upcoming rivals Napoli, whose recent form can encourage under-fire Massimiliano Allegri, who desperately needs another positive result on his return to Turin to relieve some of the mounting pressure.

Still, Napoli should head into proceedings in a far more confident mood than Juventus following a dominant 4-1 win at Monza on Wednesday. However, it’s worth noting that the win at the Brianteo merely served to snap the Partenopei’s underwhelming three-game winless away league run (D1, L2). It at least gives them a chance to win back-to-back road fixtures in a single Serie A season for the first time since March.

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Juventus

A severe injury crisis has derailed Spalletti’s lofty ambitions in the early stages of 2026/27, already eliminating Juventus from the title race, even though it’s been just nine games into the season. The Turin giants have fared terribly since September’s international break, picking up just two wins in six matches (D2, L2), mainly thanks to their growing defensive woes.

Juventus have conceded at least two goals in three of their last four outings across all competitions (W1, D1, L2), including a dreadful 3-0 defeat to Lazio in their most recent home league match. Despite that humiliating loss, Juventus’ home record remains positive (W3, D2, L1), but since their last home victory came in mid-September, there aren’t many reasons for optimism.

At risk of going three consecutive home games without winning for the first time since October 2025, Juventus will be keen to defy their recent slump in this fixture. Indeed, they’ve beaten Napoli just twice in their last ten meetings (D2, L6). On the bright side, one of those two victories came in last season’s corresponding fixture, with the Bianconeri thrashing the Partenopei 3-0 in January.

Napoli

Avoiding defeat in Turin is no small feat, but Allegri will like his chances after orchestrating Napoli’s notable resurgence. The four-time Italian champions are unbeaten in their last three competitive games (W2, D1), netting an impressive 11 goals in that sequence – more than in their opening eight matches combined.

However, the visitors have traveled poorly this season, securing just two wins in six away matches (D1, L3). Furthermore, they’ve failed to keep a clean sheet on five successive road trips since beating Genoa 2-0 on the opening Serie A weekend. Against this backdrop, they’ve kept Juventus at bay twice in their last four encounters in Turin (W1, D1, L2).

Quick out of the blocks, Napoli have opened the scoring in seven of their nine league fixtures this season, a trend they’ll be eager to maintain on Sunday. Yet, fans in attendance might have to be patient, as 12 of the 15 goals in Napoli’s away league games came after the break.

Team News

In addition to long-term absentees Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram, Francisco Conceicao, Kamil Grabara, and Manuel Locatelli, Juventus will also be without Zeki Celik and Nico Gonzalez. Summer signing Jeff Ekhator has resumed full training and will look to dislodge Spalletti’s misfiring strikers, Nick Woltemade and Randal Kolo Muani.

Meanwhile, Napoli boss Allegri cannot call upon Alessandro Buongiorno, David Neres, Costantino Favasuli, Alisson Santos, Leonardo Spinazzola, and Benoit Badiashile for this clash. The veteran coach won’t be in the dugout as he must serve a two-game ban following a red card, but there’s little doubt that he’ll put his side’s fate into the hands of in-form Kevin De Bruyne and Rasmus Hojlund.

Juventus vs Napoli Potential Starting Lineups

Juventus (3-5-2): Vicario; Gatti, Bremer, Lucumi; Kalulu, McKennie, Luiz, Koopmeiners, Cabal; Kolo Muani, Woltemade.

Napoli (4-3-2-1): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Marin, Rrahmani, Olivera; Anguissa, De Bruyne, McTominay; Politano, Lang; Hojlund.

Juventus vs Napoli Prediction

Despite Napoli’s three-game winless streak in Turin, the visitors are in far better shape than their bitter rivals. Juventus’ defensive frailties and mounting injury problems have undermined Spalletti’s side, while Napoli’s recent attacking resurgence offers plenty of encouragement.

Prediction: Napoli to Win

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