At the start of the season, very few among us had envisioned Juventus sitting on top of the Serie A table by mid-January.
Yet, only 90 minutes of football at the Via del Mare separate us from witnessing this scenario transpire before our very eyes, albeit with a twist.
With Inter away to Saudi Arabia due to their Super Cup commitments, the Bianconeri have a golden chance to provisionally rise to the top with a win over Lecce.
However, Roberto D’Aversa’s men will try their utmost best to prevent this notion from taking shape. The Giallorrossi have been dealt with several blows in recent weeks, so they’ll be eager to come away with a positive result that restores the morale at the club.
Even though Lecce don’t possess the most formidable squad in the league, they still have the personnel to cause Juventus some trouble when on their day, including the three players enlisted below.
Valentin Gendrey (Right-Back)
Sooner or later, Valentin Gendrey will find himself at a bigger club. But in the meantime, he remains an important weapon for the Southerners in both phases of the game.
The Frenchman is always dangerous when darting forward. With a strike and two assists to his name, he can be considered one of the best goal-contributors at a club that has been struggling to find the back of the net.
Ylber Ramadani (Central Midfielder)
After joining the club’s ranks from Aberdeen in the summer, the Kosovan rapidly presented himself as one of the most exciting deep-lying playmakers in Serie A, and is now beeing linked with top Italian clubs.
The Juventus midfielders should keep him well-guarded, as stopping the 27-year-old from distributing the play would cut off an important supply line for the attack.
Gabriel Strefezza (Winger)
Unfortunately for the Lecce captain, it just hasn’t been his best campaign. The Brazilian has only contributed with a single goal in 19 appearances.
That being said, the winger still possesses the flair and technical skills to inflict some damage on the left flank. He can certainly give Federico Gatti a tough time if his teammates succeed in placing him in one-on-one situations against the defender in wide spaces.
Andrea Cambiaso must offer his compatriot a helping hand to make sure Stefezza doesn’t impose his will on Juve’s right flank.
