Europe and salvation. Between a slice of panettone and a glass of sparkling wine, the Series A takes to the field with very important points up for grabs both at the top and bottom of the table. Today, in fact, there will be five early matches to follow, starting with the lunch match Parma-Fiorentina (12.30pm), passing through the afternoon challenges Lecce-Como e Turin-Cagliari (15), up to the evening ones Udinese-Lazio (18) and Pisa-Juventus (20.45pm). The match at the Arena Garibaldi is particularly noteworthy, as a victory would give Spalletti a major boost in his bid for the Scudetto.
Pisa vs. Juventus (8:45 p.m., Dazn and Sky)
With the Christmas holidays behind us, the championship restarts with the delicate challenge between Pisa e Juventus. The team of GilardinoThey arrive at the match with their backs to the wall: just two points in the last five games, second-to-last in the standings with 10 points, and the urgent need to turn things around to prevent the season from spiraling out of control. They will face a Juventus side experiencing a different kind of situation, buoyed by the enthusiasm of two consecutive victories against Bologna and Roma are determined to get the third goal to get even closer to the top. Spalletti seems inclined to confirm the eleven that beat the Giallorossi at the Stadium, except Conceiçao e Kelly: the first is struggling with a physical problem, the second will start from the bench by virtue of koopmeiners, returning from suspension. For Gilardino, however, the match against Juventus could prove to be a watershed moment: the last-gasp draw against Cagliari prevented his eighth defeat of the season and likely his dismissal, but the tension remains palpable, even if Davide Ancelotti's candidacy, which has been circulating in recent hours, seems to have lost steam. Previous encounters do not smile on Pisa: their last Serie A home match against Juventus, on January 13, 1991, ended in a resounding 1-5 defeat, enhanced by a hat-trick from Casiraghi and by the brace of Roberto Baggio, while he found the goal for the Nerazzurri Diego Pablo SimeoneThe current numbers, however, reveal another obvious difficulty: Pisa has scored just one goal at home this season, fewer than any other team in Europe's top five leagues and their respective second divisions. On the other hand, Juventus has also regained solidity away from the Stadium, winning two of their last four away games in Serie A, as many as in their previous ten.
Udinese – Lazio (18 pm, Dazn)
La Lazio introduces himself to Udine With the goal of finishing the year on a high and maintaining their position in the league table. The goalless draw against Cremonese left mixed feelings, but it didn't dampen the Biancocelesti's ambition. The numbers, however, reveal a Lazio team still inconsistent, unable to win two consecutive league games so far: after the feat against Parma, won with nine men, the 0-0 home draw halted their pursuit. Sarri, moreover, will have to deal with a serious emergency especially in midfield (the suspended players are out Guendouzi e Basic, the injured person Rovella, Dele-Bashiru is in the Africa Cup of Nations), to the point of abandoning the usual 4-3-3 and returning to 4-4-2. On the other hand, he will return Weather in Zaccagni, after having served the red card received in Parma, as well as Isaac, destined at least initially for the bench. In defense there are few doubts: in front of Provedel they will act again Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli and Pellegrini, with Tavares still out and increasingly likely to be sold (Sergio Conceiçao's Al-Ittihad wants him). On the other side, Udinese Runjaic Udinese are coming off a turbulent week following their 5-1 defeat in Florence, a result that sparked controversy over their attitude following Okoye's dismissal. Their defensive numbers remain alarming: with 27 goals conceded, Udinese have the worst defense in the league, one more than Torino. This is a significant statistic, despite their recent exploits against Napoli, beaten 1-0 at the Bluenergy Stadium after home defeats against Bologna and Genoa.
