Como Vs. Juventus Prediction: Bianconeri Pursues Anniversary Victory

Dusan Vlahovic (left) has often started matches from the Juventus bench (photo: x @juventusfc)

JAKARTA - Juventus are trying to win in a row in Serie A for the first time since November when they travel to Como headquarters on Friday night, February 7. After rising from behind and defeating Empoli last week, the Bianconeri are now facing a bottom team who have just suffered two consecutive defeats.

Juventus just went through a play full of drama against Empoli. They conceded first through their former defender Mattia De Sciglio's goal. Shortly thereafter, Michele goalkeeper Di Gregorio had faced a penalty, but the decision was ruled out by VAR because of the previous handball.

After that, Juventus took control of the game and won 4-1, thanks to two goals from Randal Kolo Muani and two additional goals in injury time.

The Bianconeri now have a chance to return to the top four if they win at the Stadio Sinigglia. Juventus are still struggling with a fairly frequent draw this season, leaving them only nine wins out of 23 league games. This makes the competition for Champions League tickets even tighter, so the win over Como is their main target.

Meanwhile, Como is struggling to stay in Serie A after promotions from Serie B. The Cesc Fabregas team underwent a difficult start to the season, including a 0-3 loss to Juventus in the first meeting in Turin. However, their performance began to improve early in the year, getting them out of the relegation zone by a two-point difference from the bottom three.

Unfortunately, the defeat to Atalanta and Bologna in the last two matches shows that Como still has difficulty getting positive results. Even so, they are quite solid while playing at home, only four times lost since promotion to Serie A. If they are able to take advantage of supporters' support, Como has the opportunity to present a surprise.

Even though Como made a lot of moves on the January transfer market, positive results are still difficult to get. A loan player from Real Madrid, Nico Paz, became the key figure in their attack, after scoring goals in four consecutive home games. He has also become the player with the highest number of drones in Serie A this season, demonstrating his ability to grapple with the opponent's defense.

However, Como had to face this match without Alieu Fadera being suspended. In addition, they also lost several important players such as Alberto Moreno, Sergi Roberto, Alessandro Gabrielloni, and Ignace Van der Brempt due to injury. The legislative Vojvoda, who just joined, also still cannot perform.

In attack, Como has the opportunity to field Patrick Cutrone as the spearhead, supported by trio Gabriel Strefezza, Nico Paz, and Assane Diao. New recruits such as Maxence Caqueret and Alex Valle are likely to enter the starting XI to strengthen midfield and defense.

In the Juventus camp, Thiago Motta still has to play without several key players. Pierre Kalulu is absent due to a muscle injury, so Renato Veiga, who just joined Chelsea, will most likely return to filling the center-back position. Meanwhile, Bremer, Juan Cabal, and Arkadiusz are still in the treatment room, and Andrea Cambiaso is doubtful about appearing due to ankle problems.

The good news is that new defender Lloyd Kelly, who has just been brought in from Newcastle United, is expected to be played. Motta is also still considering options in attack. Dusan Vlahovic, who has recently started the match from the bench, scored a goal when he came on as a substitute in the match against Empoli. With Kolo Muani's slick performance, who has scored three goals in his first two matches in Serie A, it is possible that both of them will be played simultaneously.

If Kolo Muani scores again, he will be the first Juventus player of the century to score in his first three matches in Serie A.

Juventus came with big ambitions to secure the three points and return to the top four, while Como hopes to take advantage of home games to achieve positive results. Historically, Juventus are very dominant over Como. They were unbeaten in their last 22 Serie A matches against this team, and Como's last win over Bianconeri came more than 70 years ago, to be precise in January 1952.

However, the club, which is owned by the Djarum Group, has shown that they are not easily defeated opponents at home. They have only lost four times since returning to Serie A, which shows that this team could be a stumbling block for their opponents.

Juventus, who are still struggling to maintain consistency, must remain vigilant. The absence of some of the main players, especially in the back lines, could give Como the opportunity to steal goals. However, with Kolo Muani's moderately hot performance and quality excellence in various lines, Juventus remains a favorite to win this match.

Estimated line-up

Como (4-2-3-1):Butez; Engelhardt, Goldaniga, Dossena, Valle; Perrone, Caqueret; Strefezza, Paz, Diao; Cutrone

Juventus (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Savona, Gatti, Veiga, McKennie; Locatelli, Thuram; Gonzalez, Koopmeiners, Yildiz; Kolo Muani

Score prediction: Como 1-2 Juventus