Preview: Juventus vs Pisa - prediction, team news, lineups

Now looking up at Serie A's top four, victory is the only option for fallen giants Juventus when they host relegation-haunted Pisa on Saturday.

After taking two points from four games, the Bianconeri have fallen behind Roma and Como in the fight for Champions League places, while their Tuscan visitors are surely bound for the drop.

Match preview

Meeting for a Sunday night showdown at Stadio Olimpico, Juventus took on fellow top-four contenders Roma last weekend, aware that defeat would serve a heavy blow to their prospects.

Just days after ending this season's Champions League campaign with a brave extra-time exit to Galatasaray, Luciano Spalletti's side played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in Serie A.

Juve trailed by two until the final 15 minutes, when Jeremie Boga volleyed home his first goal for the club, before bustling centre-back Federico Gatti popped up with a dramatic late leveller.

No team has scored more goals in second-half stoppage time this season, and the Bianconeri have retrieved plenty of points from losing positions - but that spirit has only got them so far.

Juventus have now won none of their last four league matches - after prevailing in seven of the previous nine - so they must play catch-up to Como and Roma in a tight race for Europe.

In that context, any more mistakes must be avoided, and particularly at home to opponents who have won just once all season.

Following a 2-0 win in Pisa at the end of December, Juve remain unbeaten across 15 top-flight games against this week's visitors, with a dominant record of 11 wins and four draws.

While most date back several decades, Pisa have lost all seven Serie A away games against Juventus, conceding a total of 20 goals in the process.

On this occasion, the Tuscan side will head for Turin in hope rather than expectation of ending that sequence, having celebrated just a single top-flight success all season.

Surely heading for a quick return to Italy's second tier, the Nerazzurri are without a victory in 16 league fixtures since posting their lone win back in early November.

Monday's 1-0 loss to Bologna made it three consecutive defeats, and Pisa have only scored once across four games since new boss Oscar Hiljemark took charge.

Barring a miraculous turnaround, they are bound for demotion after just one year in Serie A; nine points from safety, their comeback campaign has proved a huge disappointment so far.

Juventus Serie A form:

W W D L L D

Juventus form (all competitions):

D L L L W D

Pisa Serie A form:

L L D L L L

Team News

Juventus captain Manuel Locatelli can reclaim his place after serving a one-match ban last week, while another of their key players is nearing a long-awaited return.

Not yet ready to feature in the matchday squad, Dusan Vlahovic is back in training after more than three months on the sidelines; only Emil Holm and Arkadiusz Milik are also unavailable.

Until Vlahovic returns, Jonathan David and Lois Openda will vie to start up front, with Spalletti usually preferring the Canadian.

Meanwhile, Pisa are still missing injured trio Daniel Denoon, Isak Vural and Simone Scuffet.

The latter's fellow goalkeeper Adrian Semper recently resumed full training, so the place of third-choice stopper Nicolas is in some doubt.

Arturo Calabresi (shoulder) and Felipe Loyola (ankle) are both nursing knocks, so it remains to be seen if either can feature in Turin.

Juventus possible starting lineup:

Perin; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly; McKennie, Thuram, Locatelli, Cambiaso; Conceicao, Yildiz; David

Pisa possible starting lineup:

Semper; Canestrelli, Caracciolo, Bozhinov; Toure, Loyola, Aebischer, Marin, Angori; Moreo, Durosinmi