Game Time Thread: Juventus vs. Udinese

It’s been a day that many have been waiting for ever since things came to an end in Udine last June. And luckily for everybody, the new season will begin at the same place in which the previous season came to an end.

Ah, Serie A script writers, you always have a few twists.

Juventus’ 2023-24 season begins tonight in Udine against a Udinese team they beat 1-0 on the final day of the 2022-23 campaign. Things are slightly different now, although a lot of the same names that started that game at the Dacia Arena will be in the starting lineup that Max Allegri rolls out on this night, one that will be rather warm like is the norm in Italy come mid-August. Another win over Udinese will give Juve a positive start to a new season that will see Allegri’s side not take part in any European competition for the first time in over a decade — and that is something that many feel like will be so beneficial that it could turn into a Scudetto push for a club that has gone trophy-less over the course of Allegri 2.0.

So, what’s it about to be?

Will the new season bring some new dynamics that we haven’t seen before?

Or, will the new season bring the same old thing even though preseason showed us some wrinkles we hadn’t necessarily seen over the last two years?

That is what the first game of the season always seems to bring us, my friends. There is the hope of a new season bringing different results — which, for Juventus, means a fresh start after a 2022-23 campaign filled with drama on the field and even more off of it. There’s optimism that good things are on the horizon. That optimism could prove to be right, or dashed within a couple of weeks because of reasons.

That is why the beginning of each new season is so unique. Maybe things will be different. Maybe they will be the same. Maybe Juventus can start to turn a corner and get back to being one of the best in Italy. There’s only one way to find out.

MATCH INFO

When: Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023.

Where: Dacia Arena, Udine, Italy.

Official kickoff time: 8:45 p.m. Italy and the Central European time zone, 7:45 p.m. in the United Kingdom, 2:45 p.m. Eastern time, 11:45 a.m. Pacific time.

STARTING LINEUPS

Juventus starting XI (3-5-2): Szczesny; Danilo, Bremer, Alex Sandro; Weah, Miretti, Locatelli, Rabiot, Cambiaso; Vlahovic, Chiesa.

Juventus bench: Pinsoglio, Perin, Gatti, Pogba, Kostic, Huijsen, Milik, Yildiz, McKennie, Iling Junior, Fagioli, Rugani, Soulè, Nicolussi Caviglia.

Udinese starting XI (3-5-2): Silvestri; Perez, Bijol, Kabasele; Festy, Zarraga, Walace, Lovric, Kamara; Thauvin, Beto.

Udinese bench: Piana, Malusà, Guessand, Success, Quina, Ferreira, Abankwah, Aké, Lucca, Semedo, Camara, Samardzic, Zemura, Pejicic, Nwachukwu.

HOW TO WATCH

Television: TNT Sports 1 (United Kingdom).

Online/Streaming: Paramount+ (United States); fuboTV Canada (Canada); discovery+, discovery+ app (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.