Down to bare bones, the last two performances of Juventus have left a lot to be desired, but it is tough to fault the coach, and especially the players, this time out. The positive is that they both resulted in wins, and some would say that is the only thing that matters. Luckily, it looks like some help is on its way, although not as much as hoped since Paulo Dybala will remain sidelined despite some early optimism.

Still, the ugly victories could convince Massimiliano Allegri to double down on the style. Hopefully, it will not take a devastating loss for him to realize that continuing like this would be a disservice to the strikers. It is tough not to wax poetic on Dusan Vlahovic after the two gems against the Azzurri. His stay could not have started any better. It looks like the only thing that could hold him back is the lack of feeds, so it will be up to the gaffer to prevent that from becoming an issue.

Aside from the Villarreal game, Juventus have commenced a relatively favorable stretch of the schedule. However, facing relegation strugglers is riskier than defying teams in the middle of the standings, despite their inferior quality. Mounting a Scudetto comeback remains arduous, also because there are three contenders, and not just one, which does not allow to play the cat-and-mouse game properly. The hopes might become more of a reality if the Bianconeri won all the matches before the Inter clash. The team spirit is on point, and that is reassuring, but the lapses, and some fatigue, always seem to be just around the corner.

The midfielders have logged heavy minutes lately, and while the returns are not necessarily in that area, they could be beneficial with some rejiggering across the formation. In the meantime, the partnership between Arthur and Manuel Locatelli has gone swimmingly, freeing up the former to put his dynamism to good use in more areas. It is quite inexplicable why it had been seen as a bugaboo beforehand, and the boss did not use it until he really had no choice to. The Brazilian is still overconfident with the ball on his feet at times, but he appears to be finally adjusting to Italian football, and his technique is undeniable. If he started to uncork some creative passes, he would become a real asset. Still, it would be better not to stress him too much given his tricky injury history.

Mattia De Sciglio and Leonardo Bonucci are out with ailments for this one, while Daniele Rugani and Bernardeschi are available, and one of the two will have to start, most likely the former, who was dealing with a less tricky injury. The coach suggested Vlahovic might initially rest, but he had done in the last two pre-games pressers, and he ended up starting anyway. With no midweek fixture on the horizon, it would be better not to play with fire. The attack is pretty much the only area where he has a decision to make since Moise Kean is perking up.

Expected Lineup

Juventus (4-4-2): Szczesny; Danilo, Rugani, De Ligt, Pellegrini; Cuadrado, Arthur, Locatelli, Rabiot; Vlahovic, Morata.

Absences: Chiesa (ACL tear), Chiellini (calf strain), Dybala (thigh injury), Bonucci (calf pull), McKennie (foot fracture), De Sciglio (knee soreness), Kaio Jorge (patellar tendon tear)

Spezia hold a small lead over the last three spots, but the three recent defeats threw them back into deep waters. They had an impressive between late December and early February, winning four of seven matches and picking up a pair of draws. However, the relegation struggle is heating up, and you can not go for naught for too many fixtures in a row without getting sucked in.

Looking at the seasoned competitors, the Aquilotti will have to fight tooth and nail until the end to avoid the drop. Factoring in their transfer market ban, the fact that they are not doomed already and had decent success is a minor surprise. The roster is not particularly enticing, plus they went, only partly by choice, from one of the brightest gaffers in Italy, Vincenzo Italiano, to one that looked out of his depth in the early going, Thiago Motta. However, he turned things around, even resisting the pressure from part of the front office that would have quickly kicked him to the kerb.

They could have taken the easy road and hired a veteran after Fiorentina stole their coach from under their nose. Instead, they went with another up-and-comer, probably because they thought his philosophy was similar to his predecessor. That was maybe the case going in, but then Motta, who was seen as a tactical trailblazer before his failed Genoa stint, had to tone things down dramatically to make it work. They may play with a little more pace than other sides, but their style is not markedly different from other minnows. Empoli and, in some instances, Sampdoria and Venezia are much more proactive.

They have gone through a few schemes and settled for a 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 lately, with Giulio Maggiore playing either as a box-to-box or as a tactical no.10. Rey Manaj has come on a little, but they do not have a true goal poacher that can take the chestnuts out of the fire. They have to scavenge for goals through fast breaks, set pieces, convoluted actions, and long-range efforts.

Maggiore and Daniele Verde are their technical leaders, and the latter is by far their best main source of offense, and he is a great shooter too. The other forwards, Manaj and Emmanuel Gyasi, are not super clutch in the box, but they work very hard in the passive phase too. Kevin Agudelo has carved out a bigger role for himself in the last few matches, and he is a ball of energy, on top of being rather technical. He always makes an impact, either starting or off the bench.

Motta will have to tweak his usual lineup due to suspensions and injuries. Kelvin Amian and Jakub Kiwior are disqualified, and they are pretty significant losses. The former turned into a reliable right-back after a rocky start, and his backup Salvador Ferrer is more up-and-down. The absence of the Polish youngster is potentially more hurtful, as he single-handedly lifted their midfield by providing a ton of muscles, helping massively in keeping the team balanced. Jacopo Sala, who would have been the most natural substitute, got hurt in the previous game, so the next men up are Mehdi Bourabia, who has not featured in a minute, and Viktor Kovalenko, who is a different type of player and would make them lighter.

The left flank is a bright spot for them as, besides Verde, Arkadiusz Reca and especially Simone Bastoni are dynamic offensive weapons too. They are both fullbacks, but the latter quickly adapted to playing in the midfield. They are solid crossers and can fire off from distance.

They tightened things up a little in the back but, statistically speaking, they remain one of the worst defenses in League. They are more respectable than at the beginning of the season, though. They did away with some blunders once Martin Erlic shook off his physical issues, the chemistry with Dimitrios Nikolaou improved, and Ivan Provedel unseated Jeroen Zoet between the sticks, furnishing a few spectacular performances.

Compared to the first meeting between the two sides, their rhythm is significantly lower, and they are not as offensive-minded. The natural tradeoff is that they are more tenacious sturdier but certainly not impenetrable. Juventus might need some patience, but the chances will eventually be there. The recent dispiriting losses to Fiorentina, Bologna, and Roma may affect their morale, causing them to falter if they go down early, so a fast start could lead to a serene afternoon.

Expected Lineup

Spezia (4-3-3): Provedel; Ferrer, Erlic, Nikolaou, Reca; Maggiore, Bourabia, Bastoni; Gyasi, Manaj, Verdi.

Absences: Kiwior, Amian (suspension), Sala (thigh strain), Colley (foot sprain), Salcedo (knee tendinitis).