Spalletti's Juventus Head to NEC Under Pressure

Antonio Conte's name has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Luciano Spalletti following Juventus's defeat to Sassuolo.

That kind of scrutiny is not obviously good news for NEC. A fully fit, in-form Juventus side might have been tempted to rest players for a routine European fixture. With his squad stretched, Spalletti appears to have no such luxury.

Spalletti's Juventus offer close to the opposite: a side set up for structure first. Juventus no longer field the array of superstars they once did, a shift that reflects both the changed financial standing of Serie A and the fact that Inter have overtaken their old rivals as the division's dominant force. Without that individual quality to fall back on, Spalletti has leaned on a cautious, well-organised defensive shape as his starting point.

Whether that structure holds up against NEC's front-foot style, with Spalletti's job under open scrutiny at home, may say as much about the visit's outcome as the team sheet itself.