10 April 2015
Arresting the slide?
Since their return to action following the international break, Serie A strugglers Parma have strung together their best run of form all season, winning one and drawing one.
However, Juventus are in fine nick themselves, emerging victorious from each of their last four league matches without conceding.
Poles apart?
Juventus and Parma are separated by 57 points in Serie A, the greatest gap between top and bottom in any of Europe’s top five leagues.
But while November’s first meeting of the campaign – a 7-0 triumph at Juventus Stadium - was a formality, the Coppa Italia quarter-final clash in January saw the Gialloblu put in a battling performance, losing out only to Alvaro Morata’s last-gasp goal.
Too close to call?
The most frequent scorelines produced by this encounter are 1-1 and 2-2, each occurring on six occasions, while the last four Serie A games contested at the Tardini have failed to produce more than one goal from either side.
Double vision
Carlos Tevez has struck braces in his last two meetings with the Gialloblu, making them his second favourite Serie A victims behind Hellas Verona.
Another man who seems to relish playing Parma is Stephan Lichtsteiner, who has three career goals to his name against Saturday’s opponents.
Donadoni’s Juventus duck
Roberto Donadoni has never beaten Juventus in his managerial career, recording six defeats and three draws from the nine matches contested to date.
In contrast, Massimiliano Allegri has lost just once against the Gialloblu, registering eight victories and a stalemate in the remaining encounters.
Case of the ex
There will be many familiar faces to supporters of both sides at the Tardini on Saturday night.
Starting with the Gialloblu, Raffaele Palladino spent two seasons at Juventus, between 2006 and 2008, making 51 appearances and notching 10 goals.
Other Parma men with Bianconeri connections are Antonio Nocerino (32 Serie A appearances in 2007/08) and Antonio Mirante (youth academy graduate who made seven Serie B appearances in 2006/07).
Taking the opposite route was Gigi Buffon, who moved to Turin in 2001 after beginning his professional career with Parma. He appeared in 168 Serie A encounters over six seasons.
There will also be a swift return to the Tardini for Paolo De Ceglie, who made 11 league appearances and scored three goals during a loan spell earlier on in the campaign.
