Juventus opens Serie A season against promoted Como: title contender under new coach Thiago Motta
Juventus kicks off the new Serie A season against newcomer Como 1907, on Monday 19 August at 19:45 (GMT+1) at the Allianz Stadium. After finishing third last season, the Old Lady aims to make an immediate statement in the title race under debutant head coach Thiago Motta.
Thiago Motta makes his competitive debut for Juventus
Monday marks the moment for Thiago Motta: Juventus's new head coach makes his competitive debut at the helm of the Old Lady. His predecessor Massimiliano Allegri was shown the door despite winning the Coppa Italia and finishing third in Serie A, following a turbulent incident. Motta takes charge of a club that has invested heavily this summer. Douglas Luiz was brought in for €51.5 million from Aston Villa, while the Bianconeri further strengthened their midfield with Khéphren Thuram, who joined for €20.6 million from OGC Nice. Additionally, Juan Cabal from Hellas Verona and goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio on loan from Monza were also recruited. The pre-season, however, was far from convincing: Juventus lost two of their three friendlies and drew the other, failing to register a single victory. Nevertheless, the historical record makes for encouraging reading. Juventus are the club that has won the most opening-day fixtures in Serie A history, with 59 victories, including seven in their last eight season openers (7 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses). In the head-to-head with Como, Juventus have also gone 21 matches unbeaten (12 wins, 9 draws). Motta is expected to opt for a 4-2-3-1 system with Dušan Vlahović as the central striker. Vasilije Adžić and Fabio Miretti are both sidelined through a thigh injury and a foot injury respectively.
Como returns to Serie A after 21 years under Cesc Fàbregas
For Como, the start of this season is a momentous occasion: the Lombardy club returns to the top flight of Italian football after a 21-year absence. At the helm is Cesc Fàbregas, the former midfielder of FC Barcelona among others, who is gaining his first managerial experience at the highest level. To cope with the demands of Serie A, Como have signed more than twelve new players. The most eye-catching arrival is Andrea Belotti, who joined on a free transfer from AS Roma. Raphaël Varane, Pepe Reina and Alberto Moreno also came in as free agents. Pre-season was mixed: two wins from four friendlies, and in their first official fixture — the first round of the Coppa Italia — Como were beaten on penalties by Serie B side Sampdoria last Sunday. Statistically, Como have drawn more matches against Juventus than any other Serie A club, with ten draws to their name. Fàbregas is targeting a 3-5-2 formation with Belotti leading the line. Alessio Iovine is suspended following his red card in the Coppa Italia clash with Sampdoria.
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Source: Sportmonks
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