Sampdoria coach Di Carlo stated, "Sunday's match is very important because of Juventus' reputation and value. We will play at home and need to give them trouble with our intensity. Playing against Juventus is important for our morale; we need to win two or three matches to bounce back. They are a tough team with solid defense that doesn't take risks. If we can perform at our level, we can cause Juventus a lot of trouble. We respect our opponents, but we have nothing to fear." At 10 p.m. Beijing time (2 p.m. Italian time) on January 22, the 21st round of Serie A will see Juventus visiting the Ferraris Stadium to challenge Sampdoria.
Bonucci believed that the midweek game would drain Sampdoria's energy, but it had pros and cons: "They invested a lot of energy in the Italian Cup, which is true, but passion can create miracles, and they always have passion when facing Juventus"; Clasicic thought that two consecutive wins would help Juventus: "In the first half of the season, they played well, but after our two consecutive wins, we could perform better against them, hoping to win"; Pepe, who scored his first goal of the season in the first encounter, hoped to score his fourth goal of the season: "To beat them, we need a perfect performance."
Melo continued to serve his last match suspension, but fortunately, Sissoko performed excellently last weekend, filling the gap in midfield defense. The recovered Buffon has secured his position as the starter, but Del Neri still hasn't solved two major problems. Quagliarella, Toni, and Aquilani continue to be injured and unavailable, while Genna's poor performance in the last round makes it highly likely that Amauri will wear a mask and start alongside Del Piero; In the full-back position, Sorensen and Grosso were both substituted out in the last round, making it highly possible for Grygera and Motta to start this round.
The two teams have historically clashed 116 times, with Juventus winning 58, drawing 35, and losing 23, scoring 192 goals and conceding 117. In their first meeting this season on September 12, 2010, Juventus drew 3-3 against Sampdoria at home. Since the 1996-97 season, Juventus remained undefeated in away games for nine seasons, winning six and drawing three, until they lost 0-1 away last season.
Del Neri didn't think the midweek game would affect the host's stamina: "Playing against Juventus is always an important match for anyone, and Sampdoria is no exception. This is a team that has been together for a year and a half, with great understanding between each other and excellent strikers. We need to eliminate this threat with a fast pace." Facing his former club, he couldn't help but make some comparisons: "Each team needs its own plan every season, and it takes some time to achieve it. Who made Sampdoria lose more? Del Neri or Cassano? I would say neither; they are doing very well now." The Juventus coach confirmed that Quagliarella wouldn't recover in time: "Quagliarella isn't ready to play yet. He can join the team, but he's not quite fit for a match," but praised Martinez's performance: "He doesn't have the stamina for 90 minutes yet, but he's very effective, and his characteristics suit our style well. Amauri can also play, and so can Marchisio and Sissoko."
Another highlight of the match is that Del Piero has the chance to tie or even surpass two records: After scoring again from a free-kick against Bari, Del Piero has scored 41 free-kicks for the club, just two goals shy of Mihajlovic's club record for free-kick goals; Similarly, that goal was also Del Piero's 280th goal for Juventus, just two goals shy of Meazza's record of 282 goals for the same Serie A club.
Juventus rarely experienced "an interference-free quiet week". Del Neri, who coached Sampdoria last season, returned to the Ferraris Stadium. The Juventus coach flattered the Sampdoria fans in advance: "I enjoyed the atmosphere there when I coached there, and I can only praise Sampdoria's fans. I believe they will show appreciation for my achievements last year. Our relationship lasted only one season, but it was a strong bond."
This match can be called the clash of contradictions in Serie A. Juventus scored 35 goals in 20 rounds, tied with AC Milan at the top of the Serie A scoring chart, while Sampdoria conceded only 18 goals in 20 rounds, tied with Lazio and AC Milan as the team with the fewest goals conceded in Serie A. Sampdoria fought hard for 120 minutes on Thursday to eliminate Udinese in a penalty shootout. Sampdoria's defensive backbone Lucchini, who was suspended in the last round, returned from suspension; additionally, Makeda, who joined from Manchester United in the winter transfer window, scored his first goal in the midweek Coppa Italia; Moreover, Sampdoria's home performance this season has been excellent, with 4 wins, 4 draws, and only 1 loss in 9 matches. Sunday will be Chairman Gallo's birthday, and coach Di Carlo said, "Our chairman Gallo will celebrate his birthday on Sunday, so I ask my team to take some practical action."