14 April 2018
After Wednesday night's heroic effort at the Bernabeu, the Bianconeri must quickly re-focus for a return to Serie A on Sunday afternoon at Allianz Stadium against Sampdoria.
The Blucerchiati are the last Serie A team to have beaten Juventus, coming away 3-2 victors at the Marassi in mid-November. Since then, the Bianconeri have rattled off an unbeaten streak of 18 games looking to make it a full half-season without a loss with a result on Sunday.
THE SERIE A SITUATION
Juventus enters matchday 32 with a four-point lead over second-placed Napoli who travel to the San Siro to face AC Milan. Juve have four home contests and three road games left as the season comes to a crescendo. They would confirm a seventh consecutive scudetto if they can win their four remaining home games and one remaining road match.
For Sampdoria, a hot start to the season has cooled off recently with just one win in their last five matches. Four points behind sixth-placed Milan, Samp still have an outside shot of qualifying for the Europa League if they can finish the season strong.
LAST TIME OUT
Perhaps the biggest turning point of the Juventus season came in mid-November at the Marassi in Genoa against Sampdoria. After a goal-less first half, Sampdoria found three goals and while two late strikes made the match look close on the scoreboard, the home side took away a 3-2 win that was perhaps not as close as it looked.
The match proved to be a point of reflection for the Bianconeri and one that they wouldn't look back from as Juve did not allow another goal for eight matches and still have yet to taste defeat again this season in Serie A.
A FAMILIAR DANGERMAN
With four memorable Bianconeri seasons that saw three scudetto titles, Fabio Quagliarella is a fan favorite around the Allianz Stadium and he's enjoying another strong season with Sampdoria.
The Italy international leads the way with 18 goals in all competitions for Sampdoria while Colombian forward Duvan Zapata has found the back of the net 10 times.
The Bianconeri will have to keep close tabs on Uruguayan midfielder Lucas Torreira as well. The 22-year-old was key in Samp's 3-2 win over Juventus and, having recently made his full international debut, is second among minutes played in his squad.
STATS AND FACTS
- This is the 120th meeting in Serie A between Juventus and Sampdoria. Juve leads the all-time series 57-37-25.
- Sampdoria ended an eight-match winless streak against Juventus with the win in November.
- The last team to win both league matches against Juventus in was Sampdoria in 2012/13.
- Since three points have been awarded for a victory, only two teams have collected 81 points after 31 matchdays. Inter in 2006/07 and Juventus in 2013/14.
- In the age of three points to victory, only two teams collected 81 points after 31 days of Serie A: Inter in 2006/07 and Juventus in 2013/14 - in this last occasion the Bianconeri set the record for points in a single championship (102).
- Nine of the 18 goals Juventus has allowed this season have come from dead-ball situations.
- Juventus have scored 42 goals in the second half of Serie A matches this season. That's more than half of the teams in the league in 90 minutes.
- Only Lazio(17) have scored more goals than Juventus (16) and Sampdoria (13) in the final 15 minutes of matches this season.
- Giorgio Chiellini has scored more against Sampdoria than any other Serie A team with four goals.
- Paulo Dybala (21) and Gonzalo Higuain (15) have combined for more goals than nine teams in Serie A.
