Bottom hosts top in Serie A on Saturday at 18:00 CET as Parma face Juventus at the Stadio Ennio Tardini hoping to avoid a repeat of the reverse fixture in which Roberto Donadoni’s men were hit for seven in Turin.
The 7-0 defeat in November was the lowest point of what has been a nightmare season for Parma, who have won just three times all season and face almost certain relegation to Serie B as they are currently 16 points from safety after a three-point deduction as punishment for the club’s financial woes.
The champions on the other hand look well on course to retain their crown with a 14-point lead at the top.
The Bianconeri go into the game on the back of an impressive 3-0 victory in Tuesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final at Fiorentina, meaning that they haven’t conceded in their last four games in all competitions.
Massimiliano Allegri’s side are unbeaten in Serie A since October having lost just once all season, boasting the division’s best attack with 57 goals, and have beaten Parma in six of the last eight meetings between the sides.
Parma on the other hand have the league’s second worst defence having shipped 54 goals this season and haven’t won since early January, but will take hope from the fact that two of their three wins this term were on home turf against Inter and Fiorentina.
If they are to pull off one of the shocks results of the season they will have to do so without their goalscorer in last week’s 1-1 draw at Inter, Andi Lila, who along with Zouhair Feddai should be replaced by Massimo Coda and the experienced Mattia Cassani due to injury.
Juventus look likely to make four changes from the side that won in Florence, with Gianluigi Buffon, Andrea Barzagli, Angelo Ogbonna and Fernando Llorente to come in for Marco Storari, Giorgio Chiellini, Roberto Pereyra and Alvaro Morata.
Form Guide: Parma (L-D-D-L-L-D), Juventus (W-D-W-W-W-W)
Expected Starting XIs
Parma: Mirante, Cassani, Mendes, Costa, Gobbi, Nocerino, Jorquera, J. Mauri, Varela, Belfodil, Coda
Juventus: Buffon, Barzagli, Bonucci, Ogbonna, Padoin, Vidal, Marchisio, Sturaro, Evra, Llorente, Matri
