Juventus score little and concede less: the side Napoli face in Turin

Juventus finished sixth in Serie A last season. They got into Europe only through the Europa League, which is below the standard expected of a club with their history and turnover.

The club's weight goes beyond the pitch. In 2022-23 Juventus earned around €110m from shirt sponsors, the highest figure in Serie A. Behind it is a double arrangement: Adidas as kit supplier at around €51m, and Jeep, a brand owned by the same owners as Juventus. The half-year that closed on 31 December 2025 showed a loss of €2.5m. With that kind of revenue, last season's sixth place hurts, and this campaign has not started with the momentum of a side determined to get straight back to the top.

Juventus in numbers

The most striking figure is the balance between goals scored and conceded: 11 for, 10 against in nine rounds. Juventus have conceded as many as Inter, who lead the table, and fewer than Napoli, who have let in 11.

That is the real danger on Sunday. This is a side that gives little away and keeps every game tight, to be settled by a single moment. It is a sore point for us. Defending is one of the areas where the fanbase criticises Allegri most, and in a game like this one goal conceded could decide the night.

The numbers also show where Juventus can be hurt. Nobody in the top nine has scored fewer than their 11. Napoli have 17, Roma 23, Inter 25. A side that scores so little finds it harder to come from behind, which makes the first goal decisive.

Here, though, lies the flaw the fanbase holds against this year's Napoli: once ahead, the team drops deep and waits. Against an opponent who scores little, the second goal has to be chased, not waited for. Otherwise Napoli end up playing the game Juventus want.

How Napoli arrive

Napoli go to Turin unbeaten in three, with the 1-4 win at Monza still fresh. Allegri will not be on the bench, as he is suspended, so Marco Landucci will lead the team.

Neres, Badiashile and Spinazzola are out. Lobotka is a doubt with what the club described as a bruise and sprain to his left ankle. Vergara is available again. The absences hit the defence and the man who dictates play from midfield, the areas that decide a tight game, which is exactly the kind of game this Juventus side knows how to play.

No grand statements: no match in early November decides a season. But Juventus v Napoli is the fixture by which the fanbase judges this team, because games against equals show whether a squad really wants to be at the top or will settle for a decent finish.

We ask only one thing in Turin. If Napoli go ahead, they should not sit back and wait.