Juventus remain firmly on track to secure an historic treble this season, but before heading to Berlin for the Champions League final, they must round off their successful Serie A campaign.
League title already in the bag, the Old Lady take on Hellas Verona this weekend with the hope of prolonging their unbeaten run into next week's showpiece final on the European stage.
Hellas Verona
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Having overachieved on their return to the Italian top flight last season, finishing in the top half of the table on the back of an impressive set of results, the target this time around for Verona was to consolidate their place in Serie A.
With just one set of fixtures left to play, Andrea Mandorlini's men have done exactly that. One defeat in their opening six games set the tone, with a current 14-point gap between themselves and the bottom three in the division.
An unlikely win against the champions on Saturday will not quite be enough to secure another top-10 spot, but finishing within the same vicinity as fallen Milan giants Inter and AC certainly marks a fine return for the campaign.
The three-point hauls have dried up in recent weeks, however, with just the one win - at home to Empoli earlier this month - to their name over the past five matchdays.
While at times the Gialloblu's defence has let the side down - only three teams have conceded more than their tally of 63 goals against up the other end - Verona have one man in particular to thank.
At the grand old age of 38, Luca Toni continues to rack up the goals. In fact, should the hosts keep out Juventus star Carlos Tevez this weekend, then it is likely that the Italian World Cup winner will finish as the league's top scorer.
Toni may be tempted into ending his career on foreign shores, but keeping hold of the 21-goal striker will prove key to the Mastini's hopes next term.
Recent form: WDLDWD
Juventus
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So far, so good for Juventus in terms of this season's ambitions. A domestic league title firmly in the bag, combined with their recent Coppa Italia success, ensures that things are looking good for Massimiliano Allegri's men at this moment in time.
They are not content with stopping there, either, having booked their place in the Champions League final thanks to a gutsy performance over two legs against current holders Real Madrid.
A season that began with seven league wins on the bounce looks likely to end in a similar manner, with victory over Hellas on Saturday enough to take the Bianconeri's record to 89 points out of a possible 114 for the campaign.
Allegri deserves huge credit for adapting his side to the challenge of competing on three fronts through this gruelling campaign, which looked to be heading towards a stalled finish at one stage.
Two defeats in three games last month, including a shock 2-1 reverse at arch-rivals Torino, allowed others to cut the gap somewhat. But Juve's hopes of retaining their title have never truly looked in doubt right from day one.
Now they have the chance to round things off in style domestically speaking, by building on their two previous victories against Mandorlini's charges this season ahead of that crucial meeting against Barcelona at the Olympic Stadium.
Recent form in Serie A: LWWDWW
Recent form (all competitions): WDDWWW
Team News
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There has been plenty of transfer talk surrounding Juventus in recent days, both in terms of incoming and outgoing targets, but focus right now is very much on their final two games.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Old Lady made nine changes to their starting lineup last time out, bringing in Kingsley Coman to lead a much-changed side.
With the European Cup final closing in, Allegri may be tempted to leave Madrid-linked Paul Pogba on the bench, although Tevez may be thrown in to keep the 20-goal forward ticking over.
Meanwhile, Pierluigi Gollini is likely to return to the bench for Verona, while Mounir Obbadi, Eros Pisano and Ivan Martic are all major doubts for the final-day clash.
Toni scored twice in the 2-2 draw against relegated Parma last time out, and he is expected to start in what could potentially be his final game for the club.
Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:
Rafael, Sala, Agostini, Marquez, Moras, Tachtsidis, Obbadi, Hallfredson, Toni, Jankovic, Fernandinho
Juventus possible starting lineup:
Buffon, Ogbonna, Barzagli, Padoin, Asamoah, Marchisio, Morata, Sturaro, Pereyra, Tevez, Coman
Head To Head
Verona have picked up just two points from their last seven league meetings against Juve, while they have only won one of the last 16 Serie A encounters.
However, the last two league encounters at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi have ended in 2-2 draws, which offers more than a glimmer of hope for the home side.
The mid-table club can also take consolation from the fact that they have recouped more points (18) from losing positions than any other top-flight side in Italy this campaign, meaning that the champions are likely to be made to fight all the way in their final league game.
Juventus also brushed aside their opponents 6-1 en route to winning the Coppa Italia earlier this year, with Sebastian Giovinco - now at Toronto - bagging a brace.
We say: Hellas Verona 1-3 Juventus
The visitors may have one eye on the small matter of a Champions League final, but they are likely to prove too strong for a Verona side camped firmly in middle ground right now.
Daniel Lewis
