Next. Juventus also beat Empoli and moved, albeit temporarily, to +6 on Sarri's Napoli, thus consolidating their leadership in the standings and all the certainties of the case. A very heavy success for the bianconeri, the 20th in the last 21 games, which demonstrates once again all the solidity of a granite group, regardless of injuries and suspensions. Several key players were missing yesterday evening and their physical condition could only be affected by the long break, much heavier for Juve than for Empoli given the many men involved with the national teams. There were many pitfalls and in fact the match was far from easy, as demonstrated by the narrow 1-0 final. But the Lady has also overcome this trap and can now enjoy a fairly serene Sunday in an armchair: if Napoli wins in Udine, they would still be 3 points behind, vice versa, if they make a false step, the fifth Scudetto in a row would take more and more shape. “At this point of the season the results matter and I can only congratulate the boys – commented Massimiliano Allegri. – In Italy, winning matches is not easy and we have won 20 of the last 21, we deserve the lead in the standings. It wasn't easy, Empoli play well and it's normal to run into some difficulties”. The evening at the Stadium could have gotten quite complicated if Saponara, on the 0-0 result, hadn't eaten a sensational goal face to face with Buffon. Wasting similar opportunities is always a sin but it can even be fatal if Juventus are up against you. And so, a breath away from the close of the first half, Mandzukic took the chair, with his first Juventus goal in 2016 so far a bit contradictory. In the second half, the Lady, forced to replace Chiellini due to an injury (yet another this season), managed the match without being able to close it, thus leaving the games open until the end. The 1-0 final won't go down in history for the express game but it's worth a + 6 in the standings which, at this point, counts much more.
Today it will be up to Napoli to respond in Udine (12.30), otherwise the Scudetto speech could suffer a decisive blow. Sarri will be forced to play in the condition he hates the most, i.e. already knowing Juve's result. “It's the sixth time this has happened, it's not a controversy but a fact – growled the coach at the press conference. – For us it is a real boulder but by now we are used to it, indeed I would say that we are even fond of it…”. The attack (yet another) on the Lega Calcio and the calendar denotes a certain tension, a sign that in the Napoli house they are aware that they really cannot make a mistake in today's match. In front there will be a perilous Udinese, only partially relieved by the defeat of Carpi against Sassuolo (1-3), which however does not close the doors to the danger of relegation. “They have regenerated with the change of coach and in any case they don't have a low-ranking squad – thought Sarri. – It's a complicated game that we'll have to face with maximum concentration, it's useless to deny that everything passes through Friuli”. The blue coach has only one doubt relating to Reina: the goalkeeper has a physical problem and will only decide today whether or not he will be able to take the field. The sensations are slightly positive, otherwise it will be Gabriel's turn to defend the Napoli goal. Everything else confirmed with Hysaj, Albiol, Koulibaly and Ghoulam in defense, Allan, Jorginho and Hamsik in midfield, Callejon, Higuain and Insigne in attack. De Canio will respond with the following 3-5-1-1: Karnezis in goal, Hertaux, Danilo and Felipe in the back, Widmer, Kuzmanovic, Hallfredsson, Fernandes and Armero in the midfield, Thereau and Zapata as an attacking duo.
