Coppa Italia | Quarter-Finals

Feb 26, 2025 at 8pm UK

Sydney Football Stadium

Juventus vs Empoli

Match preview

Juventus have continued their largely disappointing campaign, with a recent Derby d'Italia win followed by a Champions League exit at the hands of PSV Eindhoven, before returning to winning ways last weekend.

Back in from the cold, Dusan Vlahovic scored 12 minutes into his first Serie A start of 2025 to secure three valuable points at Cagliari as Juve tightened their grip on fourth place in the table.

While that keeps them on course for Champions League football next season, the Bianconeri's last chance of winning silverware is in the cup.

In December, they returned to the Coppa Italia for the first time since seeing off Atalanta BC in last year's final, with Cagliari once again their opponents - this time on home soil.

Vlahovic scored the opener for the Bianconeri, who reached the last 16 through European duty, as Juve kicked off their trophy defence with an emphatic 4-0 win.

Although results have been mixed since then, Thiago Motta's side have won four out of five games to start February, and having won 80% of their league encounters with Empoli in Turin, there is no doubt that Juventus will be looking to progress.

Empoli's most recent defeat at the hands of the Bianconeri was a 4-1 thrashing earlier this month, in which Randal Kolo Muani scored a brace. The Azzurri were leading through former Juve defender Mattia De Sciglio, but conceded four goals in the final half-hour.

Despite this, they have lost just two of their last five league games, having lost 10 of their previous 11.

Despite their poor form since mid-December, Empoli are still in contention for their first ever Coppa Italia triumph, although they are the clear outsiders.

After defeating Catanzaro in the first round, Roberto D'Aversa's side needed only a 90th-minute winner to defeat Juve's city rivals Torino and then beat Tuscan rivals Fiorentina in the Derby dell'Arno to reach the last eight.

A late Sebastiano Esposito equaliser earned them a 2-2 draw in Florence and a penalty shoot-out to set up a tricky quarter-final.

Amid a miserable run of results in Serie A - six defeats from their last seven games - Empoli are perhaps more concerned with ensuring their survival in the top flight. Their 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Atalanta BC last week left them two points adrift of safety.

Recent Performance

Juventus Coppa Italia form:W

Juventus form (all competitions):WWWWLW

Empoli Coppa Italia form:WWW

Empoli form (all competitions):LDLLLL

Team News

The Bianconeri's defensive ranks have been depleted, with full-back Nicolo Savona and Chelsea loanee Renato Veiga joining several others on the sidelines.

Already without Bremer and Juan Cabal - both out for the rest of the season - as well as Pierre Kalulu, Juve coach Thiago Motta was forced to improvise in Cagliari when he had to replace utility man Andrea Cambiaso.

Douglas Luiz, just back from another lay-off, has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, leaving the hosts with one less option in midfield.

Although Dusan Vlahovic made a rare start, it remains to be seen if he can hold off competition from Motta's first-choice striker Randal Kolo Muani, who has made a huge impact since joining on loan from Paris Saint-Germain.

Meanwhile, Empoli have their own injury list, with five long-term absentees. The defensive duo of Mattia Viti and Ardian Ismajli could also miss out, while Tino Anjorin and Jacopo Fazzini have only just returned to full training.

In better news for Roberto D'Aversa, young centre-back Luca Marianucci has returned from a two-match suspension.

Marco Silvestri has been preferred to Devis Vasquez in goal for the past two weeks, but after conceding five goals against Atalanta, Silvestri may find the roles reversed in Turin.

Possible starting lineup

Juventus possible starting lineup:

Perin; Weah, Gatti, Kelly, Rouhi; Thuram, Koopmeiners; Gonzalez, McKennie, Mbangula; Kolo Muani

Empoli possible starting lineup:

Vasquez; De Sciglio, Goglichidze, Cacace; Gyasi, Henderson, Grassi, Maleh, Pezzella; Esposito, Colombo