Udinese vs Juventus prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2023-08-19 18:45.
With the fifth-longest active stay in Serie A (SA), Udinese return for their 29th consecutive top-flight campaign hoping to deviate from what’s become their norm. The Friulians have a reputation for possessing too much quality and experience to be a possible relegation candidate, but not enough to challenge for the European spots, proved by them placing between 12th and 14th in each of the last seven seasons.
The tone for those mediocre finishes has often been set early, with Udinese failing to win their league opener in six of those seven campaigns (D2, L4). Hopefully a morale-boosting 4-1 win over third-tier Catanzaro last Friday in the Coppa Italia can help turn that tide, as their long-running top-flight status could finally be under threat should they pick up where they left off last season, when they lost their last four SA matches.
The most recent of those defeats was against upcoming opponents Juventus, who ended a tumultuous season with a 1-0 win at the Dacia Arena to record their 13th win in the last 16 H2Hs (D2, L1). That victory would’ve been enough to secure Juve a top-four finish given their league record (W22, D6, L10), but a ten-point deduction for illicit transfer activity means they finished in seventh place.
The Old Lady’s punishment didn’t stop there either, as they were handed a one-year ban by UEFA that barred them from this season's UEFA Europa Conference League, ending their 11-season stint in European competition. Perhaps that’ll be a blessing in disguise for Massimiliano Allegri and company, who can now solely focus on their league duties where anything but a top-four finish would likely be considered a failure.
Players to watch: Florian Thauvin finally opened his Udinese account with a goal against Catanzaro on his 17th appearance for the club, with that being the ninth of his last ten goals to arrive after half-time. The home side will be focused on Juventus’ Federico Chiesa, who’s scored and assisted the only goal seen in each of the last two H2Hs.
Hot stat: Juventus have won their opening SA match 59 times, the most in league history.