On a tense Saturday evening at the Arena Garibaldi, Pisa will play its very first Serie A match against Juventus Turin, and the starting positions could hardly be more contrasting. On matchday 17, Alberto Gilardino’s team is in 19th place with 11 points, just one point behind Verona and two ahead of bottom-placed Fiorentina, while Luciano Spalletti’s Juventus is fifth in the table with 29 points, in a title race where the top five teams are separated by just one point. Both teams are coming off very different weekends: Pisa fought back to earn a 2-2 draw at Cagliari thanks to goals from Tramoni and Moreo, a result that helps the mood but does little to correct the overall worrying league trend, especially with Akinsanmiro and Nzola missing due to the Africa Cup of Nations and the threat of a transfer-free market in January. Juventus, on the other hand, has six wins from its last seven games, including against Bologna and Roma, which is why bookmakers logically rank them as clear favorites.
- Venue: Arena Garibaldi – Stadio Romeo Anconetani, Pisa
- Date and time: December 27, 2025, 8:45 p.m.
- Competition: Serie A (matchday 17)
This selection is supported by recent trends, as Spalletti’s team picked up the pace after the break in their victories against Bologna and Roma, while Pisa has repeatedly conceded late goals, most recently in Cagliari, and the home side’s attack looks much blunter without Akinsanmiro, Nzola, and the injured Cuadrado.
Pisa form & record check
Pisa continues to find itself in a delicate phase. In Serie A, the club is in 19th place with 11 points, one point behind Verona and two ahead of Fiorentina, so the gaps at the bottom of the table are extremely small. In their last five league games, the Tuscan side has only managed two draws, both away at Sassuolo and Cagliari, while suffering defeats against Inter, Parma, and Lecce, which has naturally increased the pressure on Gilardino. The 2-2 draw in Cagliari showed very well where the team stands: a strong first half with a conspicuous Tramoni, who was everywhere on the pitch and then scored from the penalty spot, plus a spectacular backheel chance from Canestrelli that narrowly missed. After the break, however, Pisa collapsed, and only Moreo’s goal in the final minute, set up by Leris, prevented another bitter defeat. At least it ended a run of three league games without scoring, but the defensive problems remain obvious. Pisa has not won any of its last five league games and has conceded goals in each of them. In the second half, there has not been a single win in this period, with 80% of games close at half-time and under 1.5 goals, but in 80% of cases, the team still conceded goals after the break. In view of this, the penultimate place falls well short of the expectations of the club and fans, even if staying up is still achievable given the narrow margins. However, the turnaround must come largely from the existing squad, as Akinsanmiro and Nzola are away with their national teams, Cuadrado is out injured, and January is likely to bring transfers without net expenditure due to financial constraints.
At Pisa under Alberto Gilardino, there is once again a lot to be said for the familiar 3-5-2 formation. In our predicted starting eleven, Semper is in goal, with a back three of Canestrelli, Caracciolo, and Bonfanti in front of him. Touré, Højholt, and Aebischer form the midfield, Angori and Esteves occupy the wings as wingbacks, while Meister is expected to play alongside Tramoni in attack. It should be noted that this is only a prediction; the club will confirm the final starting lineup closer to kickoff. It is already clear that Akinsanmiro and Nzola will be missing due to their participation in the Africa Cup of Nations, and Cuadrado is out with a thigh injury, which limits the depth on the right side and in attack. Marin or Vural could move into midfield as alternatives, while Moreo, fresh from his goal in Cagliari, or Stengs could provide additional options in the final third.
Juventus Form & Record Check
Juventus travels to Pisa with a profile of quiet strength. In Serie A, the team is in fifth place with 29 points, one point behind Roma and four ahead of Bologna, so they are right in the thick of the race for Champions League places. Across all competitions, they have won six of their last seven games, a clear upward trend after initial inconsistency under Luciano Spalletti, with their current form looking more solid than spectacular. This run is based on controlled performances: in the league, Juventus won 1-0 away at Bologna, followed by a 2-1 home win against Roma, in which Conceição and Openda made the difference in a phase in which Roma once again became dangerous. In Europe, Pafos were beaten 2-0, having previously knocked out Udinese 2-0 in the Coppa Italia, with only the 2-1 defeat in Napoli exposing familiar weaknesses. The statistics further support this impression: four wins from five games in all competitions without a single draw show a team that consistently plays for three points. In none of these first halves were more than one goal scored, yet Juventus scored in every second half and never lost that period. One might think that Spalletti’s structure initially requires a lot of control and patience, and that he then brings more runners and depth into the game after the break, as the scores usually only widened when the balance was right. All this is happening despite significant absences: Vlahović, Gatti, and Rugani are missing, as are McKennie and Conceição, who were important against Roma. In attack, the responsibility therefore lies more with Openda, Yıldız, David, and Milik, supported by playmakers such as Locatelli, Thuram, Koopmeiners, and wingers such as Cambiaso and Kostić. With only one point separating the top five clubs, it is precisely this resilience that could tip the scales in the title race.
In Pisa, Juventus are expected to stick to their now familiar 3-4-2-1 formation, at least according to our predicted line-up. Di Gregorio is likely to start in goal, protected by a back three of Kalulu, Bremer and Kelly. Joao Mario and Cambiaso are expected to play on the wings, while Locatelli and Thuram will provide balance in the center for a team that is in strong form in Serie A. In the more offensive areas, we see Yıldız and Koopmeiners behind Openda, who remains the central reference in attack in this predicted lineup and is fresh off a goal against Roma. However, several important names are missing, including Gatti, Rugani, McKennie, Conceicao, and Vlahovic, which limits the defensive and offensive alternatives. Perin, Kostic, Miretti, David, and Milik could be the most important options from the bench, but this also remains provisional.
Pisa – Juventus Head-to-Head & Statistics
There is no documented direct comparison between Pisa and Juventus Turin, as the two clubs have never met in an official match. Accordingly, there are no previous results, goal averages, or streaks from which patterns could be derived, so there is neither historical dominance nor any notable surprises in the past. To assess this matchup, we must therefore look at the current team dynamics, recent form, and the coaches’ tactical ideas, as there are simply no statistics available for a direct comparison between Pisa and Juventus Turin.
