Football Previews
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has told his players to concentrate on Saturday’s Serie A home clash with Empoli and not be distracted by thoughts of next week’s crunch Coppa Italia semi-final at Fiorentina. The Bianconeri travel to Florence next Tuesday needing to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the opening leg if they are to reach the final. Juve have not lifted the Coppa Italia since the 1994-95 campaign. “It has been a long time since the club last won the Coppa and we will do everything we can to win it,” Allegri told his club’s website. “I believe we can overturn the first-leg result. “We are Juve. “Right now the most important thing is to be focused on what we need to do from here until the end of the season. “We haven’t won anything yet and we have to take it one game at a time.” Juve, who are through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League and a tie with Monaco, are well on their way to a fourth straight scudetto but first under Allegri. The Bianconeri are 14 points clear of Roma at the top of Serie A. Juve have won 20 and lost just once this season. They boast the best attack and defence in the competition. Juve are still without midfielder Paul Pogba, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury, while Italian midfielder Claudio Marchisio is out with a knee problem. The hosts will be bolstered by the return of Spanish forward Alvaro Morata, who missed his team’s triumph over Genoa in the last round through suspension. Morata, who has scored seven goals and set up four more in 22 league appearances, will partner Serie A’s leading scorer Carlos Tevez in Juve’s attack. Empoli have not lost in eight matches. A 3-1 triumph over Sassuolo last time out lifted the Tuscan outfit to 13th place, 12 points above the drop zone. Maurizio Sarri’s men have won just once on the road this season but have held the likes of Roma, Napoli, Fiorentina to draws. “Juve is much stronger than us,” Sarri said. “But in our heads we must have only one thing in our mind and that is to play a beautiful game in Turin.” Empoli will be at full strength with defender Lorenzo Tonelli having recovered from injury.
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Team
MP
W
D
L
F
A
G
P
1
Inter Milan
13
8
4
1
31
14
+17
28
2
SSC Napoli
12
8
2
2
19
9
+10
26
3
Atalanta
12
8
1
3
31
15
+16
25
4
Fiorentina
12
7
4
1
25
10
+15
25
5
Lazio
12
8
1
3
25
14
+11
25
6
Juventus
13
6
7
0
21
7
+14
25
7
AC Milan
12
5
4
3
20
14
+6
19
8
Bologna
11
4
6
1
15
13
+2
18
9
Udinese
12
5
1
6
15
18
-3
16
10
Empoli
12
3
6
3
9
10
-1
15
11
Torino
12
4
2
6
15
18
-3
14
12
Roma
12
3
4
5
14
17
-3
13
13
Parma
12
2
6
4
16
18
-2
12
14
Verona
13
4
0
9
17
32
-15
12
15
Como
12
2
4
6
13
23
-10
10
16
Cagliari
12
2
4
6
12
22
-10
10
17
Genoa
12
2
4
6
9
22
-13
10
18
Lecce
12
2
3
7
5
21
-16
9
19
Monza
12
1
5
6
10
15
-5
8
20
Venezia
12
2
2
8
11
21
-10
8
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