Igor Tudor kicks off his attempt to secure Juventus’ place in next season’s Champions League with a crucial match against Genoa on Saturday. Meanwhile, Napoli faces AC Milan, with their Serie A title battle against Inter Milan intensifying as the season nears its final stretch.
Juventus is just one point and one place outside the top four in Italy’s Serie A, as club action resumes. Tudor has been appointed to steer the “Old Lady” back to the upper echelons of Italian football after the dismissal of Thiago Motta during the international break.
The former Croatia midfielder, who spent much of his playing career at Juventus, has been hired until the season’s end. However, he is expected to be replaced by a more high-profile manager before the start of next season.
Names such as Antonio Conte, Roberto Mancini, and Gian Piero Gasperini have been mentioned as potential candidates to lead Juve in their quest to regain the Scudetto and move past the financial and scandal-related challenges of recent years.
Despite a relatively modest and nomadic coaching career, Tudor could bring some positive momentum from his most recent managerial stint as caretaker at Lazio. Tudor took over at Lazio at the same point last season following Maurizio Sarri’s resignation.
After defeating Juventus in his first match, Tudor finished the season with 18 points from his nine matches in charge—a tally only surpassed by Atalanta, who earned 22 points during the same period, and Inter Milan, who went on to win the league title.
Juve will hope that Tudor can have a similar impact this season, as a tightly contested race for Champions League spots includes clubs all the way down to ninth-placed Milan. Milan, struggling throughout the campaign, could still play a significant role in the Scudetto race, with their match against struggling Napoli potentially handing a boost to Inter Milan in their bid for a second consecutive championship.
Napoli has struggled since the end of January, earning just eight points from their last eight matches and now sitting three points behind leaders Inter. Inter will host Udinese on Sunday evening, as their title defense continues alongside a crucial Champions League quarter-final tie with Bayern Munich and a series of tough fixtures against Bologna and Roma.
Inzaghi’s side will be without key players Lautaro Martinez and Denzel Dumfries due to injury this weekend, but star wing-back Federico Dimarco has recovered from a thigh issue and will be available.
Atalanta, six points behind in third place, will face Fiorentina, where both their midfield star Ederson and coach Gian Piero Gasperini will be suspended.
Player to Watch: Tijjani Reijnders Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders has been a rare bright spot for Milan this season, contributing 13 goals and 3 assists. His performances, including a stunning Nations League quarter-final goal against Spain, have been crucial in keeping Milan in contention for the Champions League spots. Milan will need Reijnders to continue his fine form when they face Napoli on Sunday evening.
Key Stats:
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7 – The number of goals Juventus has conceded in their last two matches, against Atalanta and Fiorentina.
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6 – The points separating fourth-placed Bologna and Milan in the race for Champions League spots.
Upcoming Fixtures (times GMT):
Saturday:
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Como vs Empoli (1400)
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Venezia vs Bologna (1400)
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Juventus vs Genoa (1700)
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Lecce vs Roma (1945)
Sunday:
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Cagliari vs Monza (1030)
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Fiorentina vs Atalanta (1300)
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Inter Milan vs Udinese (1600)
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Napoli vs AC Milan (1845)
Monday:
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Verona vs Parma (1630)
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Lazio vs Torino (1845)
