Game Time Thread: Juventus vs. Lecce

Because Lecce hasn’t always been a regular appearance on Juventus’ schedule year after year, sometimes there are moments against the squad that calls the Stadio Comunale Via del Mare home that stick in your mind.

For me, a memory from Lecce fixtures of the past comes during much simpler times over a decade ago. This version of Juventus finished second in the league table. Sure, they were eliminated in the Champions League Round of 16 — hey, that sounds familiar! — but just a few years removed from Serie B there were good things happening, too.

So what am I getting at? Well let’s take a look and you, too, might have a few fond memories come back into your brain.

That will always been one of the most memorable free kicks I will have watched because who it was, who he idolized and then emulated on that shot and just how memorable a first goal with Juventus in Serie A that must have been.

Of course, these days, things aren’t as much of a feel-good kind of vibe as they were back in December of 2008 like that was. Juventus is mired in a season-long Max Allegri-induced haze that has seen them fall by the wayside in domestic play and already get bounced out of the Champions League even before the round of 16 has arrived. Tonight’s visit to face a Lecce side that is just outside of the relegation zone comes just a few short days after Juventus crashed out of the Champions League with a group stage game still to go.

Things, they’re not good.

Worse yet, who knows if they’re going to get better.

And with nearly half of the roster out injured and just 16 outfield players (and three goalkeepers) available against Lecce, things are not exactly set up for success.

So who the heck knows what to expect this time around against Lecce. Maybe a cool free kick that we remember in 14 years will happen. Maybe a totally forgettable team performance will happen instead. Based on how this season has gone, I would probably put my money on the second option rather than the first. But hey, at least it’s something, right?

MATCH INFO

When: Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022.

Where: Stadio Comunale Via del Mare, Lecce, Italy.

Official kickoff time: 6 p.m. local time in Italy and around Europe, 5 p.m. in the United Kingdom, 12 p.m. Eastern time, 9 a.m. Pacific time.

STARTING LINEUPS

Juventus starting XI (4-4-2?): Szczesny; Cuadrado, Gatti, Danilo, Alex Sandro; McKennie, Miretti, Rabiot, Kostic; Soulé, Milik.

Juventus bench: Pinsoglio, Perin, Bonucci, Rugani, Fagioli, Compagnon, Kean, Iling-Junior.

Lecce starting XI (4-3-3): Falcone; Gendrey, Pongracic, Baschirotto, Gallo; Blin, Hjulmand, Gonzalez; Strefezza, Ceesay, Oudin.

HOW TO WATCH

Television: BT Sport 2 (United Kingdom).

Online/Streaming: Paramount+ (United States); fuboTV Canada (Canada); BT Sport app, BTSport.com (United Kingdom); DAZN, 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.