/ Editor / 28 January 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Christams come early for Udinese fans? Toto Di Natale is one of the best finishers in Serie A and can give Juve serious problems
"Given the way that Udinese took on Inter last weekend, and the form that is being shown by both Antonio Di Natale and Alexis Sanchez, I’ll take the risk that an open game provides four goals at least, and that Udinese come out on top."
Udinese are one of the great entertainers of Serie A and have been in good form of late, making their trip to Juventus an intriguing one. Elsewhere, Napoli host Sampdoria...
Juventus v Udinese
When Francesco Guidolin turned down the Queen's Park Rangers job four years ago, few people in England had heard of him, but now his Udinese team is the talk of Serie A.
Udinese are unbeaten since the season resumed at the start of the month, and in those five matches they've scored fifteen times. ESPN viewers last Sunday morning were treated to an attacking masterclass against Inter Milan, and now Guidolin's team goes to the Olimpico in Turin to take a Juventus side who were rocked in midweek by their elimination from the Coppa Italia.
The manner in which a strong Juve team was picked apart by Roma must have been worrying for Gigi Del Neri and there are signs that the giants are in a little bit of trouble. A home win over Bari a couple of weeks ago was unconvincing, and aside from that, they've had the worst of a 0-0 draw at Sampdoria, and been beaten convincingly in Naples and at home by Parma.
That match against Guidolin's old team is the most fascinating form guide ahead of this match. Parma's coach Pasquale Marino used to be in charge of Udinese, and he went to the Olimpico with an attacking mentality and saw Parma run Juve off their feet in a 4-1 victory.
Udinese can do something very similar and Sunday night viewers may well witness the humiliation of Juventus. Del Neri has injury problems going into this one, and despite the probable return of Vincenzo Iaquinta, they're still not looking a threat in front of goal, and the second half of the season could be a long one. With the likely pattern of the match established, the question remains as to the best way for us to make money. Over 2.5 goals is certainly too big at [1.93], and Udinese are [3.5] for the away win. Given the way that Udinese took on Inter last weekend, and the form that is being shown by both Antonio Di Natale and Alexis Sanchez, I'll take the risk that an open game provides four goals at least, and that Udinese come out on top.
Recommendations:
Udinese to beat Juventus @ [3.5]
Over 3.5 Goals in Udinese v Juventus @ [3.3]
Napoli v Sampdoria
Napoli did the job for us last week at Bari, but as has already been discussed, they seem to look more comfortable away from home than they do at the San Paolo, and with Edinson Cavani probably out of the weekend's match against Sampdoria, they may find it hard to break down one of Serie A's dullest teams.
If Napoli haven't made a genuine challenge for the Scudetto by the end of the season, then this may be a year on which they look back with great regret. It feels like one of those transitional years in Italy, with none of the big clubs looking entirely convincing, and with the opportunity there to be grabbed by a Lazio or a Napoli. Roma may still come storming up the rails to win the title, but if Napoli can sort out their home form then they too can challenge.
They've already dropped ten points here this season, and while that might not sound like many, it's the nature of the opposition which will so have disappointed Walter Mazzari.
Fiorentina held them 0-0, Bari also drew, and Chievo beat them. Add those seven points to Napoli's total and they'd currently be three clear at the top. Sampdoria have played it safe since the turn of the year, with coach Mimmo Di Carlo realising that fight has become more important than flair, and since the resumption, Samp have failed to score in three of four games. They'll go to the San Paolo with the intention of getting a 0-0 draw, and with Cavani absent, they may well manage, despite their growing list of absentees. The 0-0 draw is trading at a tempting [12.0], but if you do take that price, then be very aware in play of the fact that Napoli make a habit of scoring late late goals here. I'm happy to take the [3.5] about their being under 1.5 goals, and may have a bit of fun In-Play as the 0-0 price dips below [1.2].
Recommendation Back under 1.5 goals in Napoli v Sampdoria @ [3.5]
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