Udinese vs. Juventus live stream: Watch Serie A live
Juventus travel to Udinese on Sunday, Oct. 22 in a must-win match for the title holders if they hope to close the gap with league leaders Napoli and surging Inter Milan.
Juventus, after a strong start this season, are coming off a draw (against Atalanta) and a loss (to Lazio) that have put them five points behind Napoli in the race for the title. That’s not all. The scoring touch of Paulo Dybala, who has missed two crucial penalty kicks in as many matches, and a leaky defense have put Massimiliano Allegri’s team in an unusual position.
The Old Lady travels to the Dacia Arena to face a plucky Udinese side that will be looking to exploit Juve’s sudden vulnerabilities. While giving up seven goals in eight matches doesn’t sound so bad for Gianluigi Buffon, it has been the lack of finishing on the other side of the field that has put Juventus in the position it currently finds itself. Bad defending was again on display this past Wednesday in Juve’s 2-1 victory in the Champions League against Sporting Lisbon.
Some may still peg Juve for title favorites (never count them out!), but the aging defense and Gonzalo Higuain’s poor touches and inability to put away chances in front of goal are a real issue. This is a team that needs to play with a renewed sense of urgency. Without it, Juve will find itself losing ground to Napoli and Inter Milan.
Juve need to dominate opponents like they have the past decade and impose their game. Allegri is likely to deploy his preferred 4-3-3 formation with the midfield (primarily Rodrigo Bentancur in the center and Sami Khedira on the right) expected to do lots of the work moving the ball forward. Dybala can’t be the only player this Juve lineup relies on for heroics. It needs to be a team effort. It needs Higuain and Mario Mandzukic to get more involved in scoring goals. That’s something Allegri will expect from his team this weekend after last Saturday’s 3-2 loss to Lazio.
“We need to restore the right balance and not get too depressed as losses and draws happen,” Allegri told reporters at a news conference Tuesday.
Udinese will not be so easy to break down. Surprisingly, the team finds itself in 16th place following two wins and six losses. Despite the talent at its disposal, Udinese could very easily be sucked into a relegation battle should it lose a string of games. Last Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Fiorentina stung, but Udinese will need to re-focus in order to grab even a draw. Those strengths include a solid defense and ability to break down opponents with its physical play.
Udinese manager Luigi Delneri switched this season from a 4-4-2 to a compact 4-3-3. It’s a team that likes to sit deep in its own half and threaten with long balls, counterattacks and set pieces. It’s exactly the kind of team that could cause Juventus trouble, especially in its current state. Udinese will look to strikers Kevin Lasagna to cook up some goals with help from Argentine journeyman Maxi Lopez.
The Serie A match between Udinese and Juventus will be broadcast live on beIN Sports. Live streaming is available on beIN Sports Connect, which you can access with your cable or satellite subscription, either online or through their app.
Date: Sunday, Oct. 22
Start time: 12 p.m. ET
Location: Udine, Italy
Stadium: Dacia Arena
TV Info: beIN Sports
Live Stream: beIN Sports Connect, Fubo.TV
The reality is that both Udinese and Juve are in a funk. It remains to be seen whether Juventus can break out of it or if Udinese can take advantage and grind out a result.