Chievo vs Juventus: Flying Donkeys face stern test

Chievo will naturally face a tough task when they take on Juventus at the Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi on Sunday.

The Flying Donkeys had started off well, and many thought they could be this season’s surprise packages. Things, however, have gone awry for Ronaldo Maran’s side, who are winless in their past four games. In fact, Chievo haven’t won a match since beating Pescara at the start of last month.

Meanwhile, Juventus have won 34 out of their last 38 games. The Bianconeri have also lost just one out of their last eight meetings with Chievo. Is there anything going for the Flying Donkeys? Perhaps their strong home record. Out of their past 13 home games, they have lost just one. That was a 3-1 result against AC Milan about three weeks ago.

Still, Chievo are in a major rut. They come into this match having lost their last game 2-0. That in itself would not be the worst thing, but they lost to Crotone. Of course, for Squali fans, it was a historic feat, as it marks their first ever win in the top flight. For Flying Donkeys supporters, however, it was an embarrassing result. And it goes without saying they  will hope their team can rebound.

However, that will be easier said than done. Juventus did not become the champs of Italy by accident. It is not by chance that the Bianconeri have won the past five Scudetti. And it was certainly no fluke how they regrouped after a bad start to blow away the competition en route to that fifth straight Scudetto.

Massimiliano Allegri’s men have not always been at their best. But even when Juventus is at 60 percent, they still manage to get results. The Bianconeri will not be happy with their 1-1 draw with Lyon, but they are presently four points clear of the chasing pack in Serie A. No matter what happens, they will head into the international hiatus as league leaders. The break, indeed, could not have come at a better time. Injuries have started to pile up, with key players like Paulo Dybala and Giorgio Chiellini out. Two more instrumental figures: Leonardo Bonucci and Miralem Pjanic suffered injuries midweek and will have to be assessed.

Is this something Chievo can exploit? Perhaps at the start of the season when they were feeling good. At this juncture, they have hit a major bump, and will find it quite a tough test to get the wheels back on track.

At least in this game.