Game Time Thread: Juventus vs. Parma

It’s been 3 ¹⁄₂ years since Juventus and Parma played one another in a competitive game in Serie A. For a lot of folks, it probably feels a lot longer than that knowing what one of the two clubs has had to go through to get back to where they’re playing today.

On that mid-April afternoon at the Stadio Ennio Tardini in 2015, Juventus was on their way to another league title, winning the fourth in what is a string of seven straight scudetti. For Parma, however, it’s been the exact opposite. That 2014-15 campaign, Max Allegri’s first in charge in Turin, was one that ended in Parma being sent down to Serie B, a foregone conclusion for a hug chunk of the second half of the season.

That game, a Parma win, was a minor blip on the radar as Juventus were preparing for their first trip to a Champions League final in a three-year span.

This season, having the Champions League final be Juve’s final game on the schedule is the same goal as it was then — and probably even moreso now knowing just how aggressive the summer transfer window was. (They signed a few big names, you know.)

Things have gone relatively according to plan so far, with two wins out of the first two games so far this season. Maybe the way that Juve beat Chievo in the season opener wasn’t necessarily all how we wanted it to go, but three points is three points, right?

Now we see what they can do against another team that, like Chievo, will likely be fighting to stay out of the relegation zone for the next seven or eight months.

We are just a couple of hours from starting the first international brea1k of the season. Three games gone and soon there will be two weeks off. You know what I don’t want? To be talking about Juventus losing to Parma for the next 12 or 13 days. That doesn’t sound like a very enjoyable way to spend an international break. (Then again, is there really any kind of “fun” way to spend an international break in early September? I’d love to know.)

MATCH INFO

When: Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018

Where: Stadio Ennio Tardini, Parma, Italy

Official kickoff time: 8:30 p.m. local time in Italy and across Europe; 7:30 p.m. in the United Kingdom; 2:30 p.m. on the East Coast; 11:30 a.m. on the West Coast

STARTING LINEUPS

Juventus starting XI (4-3-3): Wojciech Szczesny; Juan Cuadrado, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Alex Sandro; Sami Khedira, Miralem Pjanic, Blaise Matuidi; Federico Bernardeschi, Mario Mandzukic, Cristiano Ronaldo

Juventus bench: Mattia Perin, Carlo Pinsoglio, Mattia De Sciglio, Medhi Benatia, Paulo Dybala, Douglas Costa, Andrea Barzagli, Moise Kean, Joao Cancelo, Emre Can, Danuele Rugani, Rodrigo Bentancur

Parma starting XI: Sepe; Iacoponi, Bruno Alves, Gagliolo, Gobbi; Rigoni, Stulac, Barillà; Gervinho, Inglese, Di Gaudio

Parma bench: Frattali, Bagheria, Dimarco, Da Cruz, Deiola, Ceravolo, Sierralta, Gazzola, Sprocati

HOW TO WATCH

Television: RAI Italia America (United States); RAI Italia America, TLN (Canada); Eleven Sports 2 UK (United Kingdom)

Online/mobile: ESPN+ (United States); DAZN (Canada); DAZN Italy (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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