Juventus coach Thiago Motta will be making a few yet significant changes to this starting lineup for Monday’s Serie A contest against Hellas Verona.
The Bianconeri are coming off a catastrophic elimination from the Coppa Italia quarter-finals at the hands of Empoli. After the match, the manager revealed he felt ashamed, while adding that the players must feel the same after showing the wrong attitude.
Nevertheless, the Old Lady has an opportunity to somehow climb her way back to title contention, especially following Saturday’s 1-1 draw between Napoli and Inter. Hence, a victory over Verona would leave Juventus only six points adrift from the top of the table.
Therefore, it is important for Motta to get his selections right for Monday night’s fixture.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Giovanni Albanese, the manager has decided to drop both Dusan Vlahovic and Teun Koopmeiners following their disappointing midweek showings.
Hence, Randal Kolo Muani will be leading the line once more. The Frenchman has been the most consistent performer for the Bianconeri upfront since his arrival in January. Even when he doesn’t score, his overall impact can be felt.
The PSG loanee should be supported by the dynamic duo of Francisco Conceicao and Kenan Yildiz. This means that Nico Gonzalez (another player who reportedly disappointed Motta) will start on the bench.
Weston McKennie will operate as an attacking midfielder once more in the absence of Koopmeiners, while Khephren Thuram and Manuel Locatelli combine in the double pivot.
Finally, the backline should remain intact despite Pierre Kalulu’s return from injury. Hence, Timothy Weah, Federico Gatti, Lloyd Kelly and Andrea Cambiaso will start in defence, with Michele Di Gregorio behind them.
Juventus Probable XI (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Weah, Gatti, Kelly, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Thuram; Conceicao, McKennie, Yildiz; Kolo Muani
