Udinese Vs Juventus: Top-Four Race and Italy Call-Ups in Focus for Saturday’s Serie A Clash
udinese vs juventus on Saturday evening in Serie A Round 29 arrives with Juventus chasing momentum in the top-four race and a handful of Italy hopefuls facing extra scrutiny ahead of Gennaro Gattuso’s upcoming squad announcement for the World Cup play-off campaign later this month.
Udinese Vs Juventus: What’s at Stake in Round 29
Juventus enter the weekend in sixth place, just one point behind Roma in fourth. Roma sit ahead of fifth-place Como only on goal differential, leaving the table particularly tight in the race for the top four.
The schedule creates a potential opening for Juventus: the two teams directly ahead of them are set to play each other a little less than 24 hours after Juventus take the field in Udine. The scenario laid out this weekend is straightforward—Juventus need to take care of their own result first, then hope the matchup between those sides in front of them delivers a favorable outcome.
Juventus come in after ending a winless run in the league that stretched back to the first day of February. Their last Serie A match was a 4-0 win over Pisa, their first league victory in five weeks. The performance, however, still required patience, with the breakthrough goal coming after more than 45 minutes.
Saturday’s trip is also framed by the fact Juventus have already beaten Udinese twice this season, though both of those wins came in Turin. This meeting shifts to Udinese’s home ground, where the hosts have five wins in 14 games this season. Even so, the matchup is being treated as a potential trap game, particularly given Juventus’ uneven form in recent weeks.
Italy Selection Watch Ahead of Gattuso’s Squad Announcement
Beyond the league table, udinese vs juventus is also being watched through an international lens. Gattuso is less than a week away from naming his Italy national team squad for the World Cup play-off campaign at the end of the month, and this round of Serie A fixtures is the last set of league matches before he makes his selections.
Italy are set to face Northern Ireland in a World Cup play-off semi-final on March 26. The winner will then play either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina away from home on March 31, with a place at the final tournament on the line in a one-off decider.
Several Italy hopefuls are expected to be involved on Saturday evening, but only three or four are viewed as being under genuine consideration for a call-up. Juventus are expected to field multiple Italian candidates in Udine.
In goal, Juventus have two Italian keepers—Michele Di Gregorio and Mattia Perin—but neither is expected to be included this month. Di Gregorio has recently lost his No. 1 status to Perin, after a stretch of disappointing performances in 2025-26.
Defender Federico Gatti started in last weekend’s win over Pisa, but his place in the lineup is not guaranteed. His status for the national team is also uncertain; his inclusion cannot be ruled out, but he is not considered a lock.
Three other Juventus players are in contention for Italy’s squad: Andrea Cambiaso, Manuel Locatelli, and Fabio Miretti. Cambiaso has been a mainstay in the national-team setup under Italy’s last three head coaches, though he faces significant competition despite his ability to play on either flank. Locatelli is expected to start for Italy at the base of midfield. Miretti is also in the mix as a potential call-up, though more as a squad option given the depth of midfield choices.
Udinese’s most high-profile Italy player is Nicolo Zaniolo, but he is not expected to be called up for this month’s squad.
What Happens Next
Saturday evening’s match in Udine serves as a pivot point on two fronts: Juventus’ attempt to close the gap in the top-four race, and a final high-visibility audition for Italy hopefuls before Gattuso names his squad for the end-of-month play-offs. With Juventus coming off a much-needed league win and the standings compressed above them, the result at Udinese will land with added weight as Serie A moves deeper into March and toward the international break.
