Juventus are still working at fine tuning their squad before the start of the Serie A season this weekend, with rumours still abound as to who may or may not be joining the Turin outfit before the close of the transfer window next Tuesday. Yet for 90 minutes of Thursday evening that will all take a back seat as they aim to close out their Europa League fixture against Sturm Graz.
A stoppage time goal from Amauri at the UPC-Arena has done much to ensure Juve’s continuing presence in the competition as it would take the Austrians to score twice without reply for the Italians to slip out. Times have been tough on the field for the Nerazzurri in recent times, but not so tough that such a result wouldn’t register as a shock of seismic proportions.
“We suffered,” coach Luigi Delneri confessed to his club’s official website after the first leg. “We can do better. The team must forget the past. We are still not playing in a serene manner. After their equaliser we were a bit shaken. We must eliminate this in order to see the Juve I want.”
The Bianconeri were playing their first competitive game under Delneri, but already he has set the bar with regards to the level of performance he expects from his players. Ahead of Sunday’s clash against Bari, he will want to see his players gel further and improve their match fitness, not to mention record a morale boosting victory.
Little Hope
With Juventus just preparing to kick-off their new campaign, Sturm Graz are already in full swing, having played four Austrian Bundesliga fixtures. Their start has been rather inauspicious, with two wins and a draw record from their opening fixtures, leaving them sixth in the table, albeit measuring up against several sides who have played a match more.
The Graz side may make the short hop over the Alps on Thursday, but they’ve got a massive mountain of their own to climb once they reach the field. Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, Franco Foda’s outfit, who qualified for the competition by virtue of their Swiss Cup win last season, will likely have to win by two clear goals to earn outright progression.
Dinamo Tbilisi have been eliminated by the Austrians 3-1 on aggregate but Juve pose a very different and very much tougher challenge. Gordon Schildenfeld’s first leg goal seemed to have earned them a late tie, which would have given die Schwoazn an outside chance of an upset, but Amauri’s late winner seems to have poured cold water on those.
Graz are not a side totally bereft of a European pedigree. They have competed in the Champions League and have even progressed by the first group stage, but those exploits were over a decade ago and it is now a very different side gracing the UPC-Arena on a weekly basis. An away win over Galatasaray in this competition last term does provide some foundation for hope.
TEAM NEWS
Juventus
There are a handful of selection problems for Luigi Delneri to cope with on the eve of this game, and these are added to by a suspension for Claudio Marchisio.
Gianluigi Buffon remains injured, and Vincenzo Iaquinta is out too.
Probable Starting XI: Storari; Motta, Bonucci, Chiellini, De Ceglie; Lanzafame, Sissoko, Marchisio, Pepe; Diego; Amauri
Sturm Graz
The visiting side haven’t registered any fresh injury or suspension problems following the first leg. Mario Kienzl remains a long-term problem.
Their side is unlikely to be altered a great deal after a battling showing in Austria.
Probable Starting XI: Gratzei; Strandfest, Schildenfeld, Feldhofer, Purcher; Weber; Holzl, Bukva, Muratovic; Kienast, Szabics
Prediction
Juventus 2-0 Sturm Graz 
