Game Time Thread: Juventus vs. Hellas Verona

Today is a day of goodbyes. We will say goodbye to the Serie A season — even though there are more games scheduled to be played tomorrow. But, in a game that means absolutely nothing in the standings for either team playing, we will say goodbye to a legend of the game in goal, goodbye to a crazy Swiss man at right back who has won seven straight league titles and a loyal servant who has done everything that has been asked of him since arriving at the club six years ago.

It’s a day to celebrate.

It’s a day to say goodbye.

The emotions from the goodbyes are going to out-weigh the emotions when Gigi Buffon lifts the Scudetto above his head and we see him and his teammates celebrate something that’s been eight months in the making.

This is about saying a long and wonderful goodbye to Buffon, our captain.

This is about saying a long and wonderful goodbye to Stephan Lichtsteiner in hope that he doesn’t yell at us in the process.

This is about saying goodbye to the other Juventus players who have already said they are leaving Juventus this summer (Kwadwo Asamoah) or could very well leave in a matter of weeks or months (Claudio Marchisio).

The amount of emotion that is going to be running through Allianz Stadium today is going to rival the amount of emotion that runs through Buffon’s veins when he’s going on one of those classic goal celebrations in a big game. You know it’s true.

But, around the world, it’s going to be the exact same thing.

I’m going to be sitting here, in my still relatively new apartment in Southern Oregon, feeling like an emotional wreck because the man who first drew me to Juventus is going to be playing his 656th and final game with the club he has spent the last 17 years at. It’s not about me, obviously, and I’m not going to go on about it. We all have our own story and our own reasons as to why we love Buffon, Lichtsteiner and the like.

Maybe that’s just how we should try and get through this game.

Or every single one of should just go to the corner store and buy 50 bucks worth of tissues. Lord knows that this is going to be the day where we’re all going to need them at some point in time.

MATCH INFO

When: Saturday, May 18, 2018

Where: Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy

Kickoff time: 3 p.m. local time in Italy; 2 p.m. in the United Kingdom; 9 a.m. on the East Coast; 6 a.m. on the West Coast

STARTING LINEUPS

Juventus starting XI (4-3-3): Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Rugani, Alex Sandro; Marchisio, Pjanic, Sturaro; Dybala, Mandzukic, Douglas Costa

Juventus bench: Pinsoglio, Szczesny, De Sciglio, Chiellini, Benatia, Khedira, Cuadrado, Higuain, Matuidi, Asamoah, Howedes, Bentancur

Hellas Verona starting XI (4-3-3): Nicolas; Romulo, Caracciolo, Ferrari, Souprayen; Aarons, Fossati, Danzi, Fares; Matos, Cerci

Hellas Verona bench: Silvestri, Coppola, Verde, F Zuculini, Bearzotti, Petkovic, Felicioli

HOW TO WATCH

Television: beIN SPORTS USA, beIN SPORTS en Español, Rai Italia America (United States); beIN Sports Canada, beIN SPORTS en Español, Rai Italia America (Canada); BT Sport Extra (United Kingdom); Sky Sport 1 HD Italia, PremiumSport HD, Sky Supercalcio HD, Sky Calcio 1 (Italy)

Online/Mobile: beIN SPORTS CONNECT, fuboTV (United States); beIN SPORTS CONNECT Canada, DAZN (Canada); BT Sport Live (United Kingdom); Premium Play, Eleven Sports Italy, SKY Go Italia (Italy)

Other live viewing options can be found here, and as always, you can also follow along with us live and all the stupid things we say on Twitter. If you haven’t already, join the community on Black & White & Read All Over, and join in the discussion below.

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