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We're another couple of hours away from the latest thrilling international break, full of talking about how many Juventus players won't be called up to their respective national teams because of injury. Or so I will just assume that's the case considering how many players are injured at the current moment.
Those 19 players who are available to play against Parma today, well, they are healthy. Not all of them are in the best of form right now, but any regular viewer of Juventus can tell you that. Giorgio Chiellini, not playing well right now. Fernando Llorente, it was a rough go of it before Tuesday's substitute appearance against Olympiacos. Tough times, but not for everybody even though October was a down month for Juventus.
Speaking of things in not very good form, that's Parma this season.
And what has this run of poor form "allowed" Parma to do? Well, slump all the way to 19th place, with their win over Inter last weekend being the only reason why Roberto Donadoni's squad isn't sitting dead last entering today's game against Serie A's top dog.
Match Preview
Playing the almost-bottom-of-the-table team sounds good in theory. Juventus are coming off a positive and crucial showing in the Champions League midweek, getting three much-needed points as a result of it. Max Allegri switched formations, switched the approach to the game, and — viola! — Juventus looked like a solid team again.
Will Allegri stick with a 4-3-1-2 formation from Tuesday night even with all the injuries currently crushing the squad's depth? Will Roberto Pereyra be the guy who steps in and plays as a attacking center midfielder for the first time in his Juventus career? Will Simone Padoin get his long-awaited first start of the season?
So many questions, so many things to get answered before kickoff. There's not really time to relax and have an espresso for Juventus. Maybe during the international break when we're free of Serie A football for two weeks, but not today. There's still 90 or so minutes to be played.
Starting lineups will be posted RIGHT HERE when they become available. Let us pray that all the former Juventus players don't do former Juventus player things while playing Juventus. Did you get all that? I hope so. If not, just ask somebody about the Ex Effect, it should be pretty easy to figure out from there.
UPDATE: LINEUPS ARE IN!
Juventus XI (4-3-1-2/4-3-2-1): Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Padoin; Romulo, Marchisio, Pogba; Pereyra; Tevez, Llorente.
Juventus bench: Storari, Rubinho, Ogbonna, Mattiello, Pepe, Coman, Giovinco, Morata
Parma XI (3-5-2): Mirante; Felipe, Lucarelli, Costa; Rispoli, Acquah, Lodi, Mauri, De Ceglie; Cassano, Ghezzal
Parma bench: Iacobucci, Belfodil, Lucas Souza, Santacroce, Pozzi, Mariga, Ristovski, Palladino, Gobbi, Galloppa, Coric, Pedro Mendes
