Juventus enter October with a crowded calendar, an injury list to manage and a belief at Continassa that Luciano Spalletti’s record at this point of the season can provide a useful guide. The coach faces six matches before the end of the month, followed immediately by a reunion with Napoli at the Allianz Stadium on 1 November.
Spalletti’s career figures offer encouragement. October has produced an average of 1.92 points per game for the Tuscan coach, a return surpassed only by May, when he has generally had fewer fixtures to play. It is also his second-best month for victories, behind February alone.
Quick facts
- Juventus resume Serie A action away to Cagliari on 11 October.
- The Europa League visit of Celta Vigo follows on 15 October.
- Lazio arrive in Turin on 18 October, before Rennes visit on 22 October.
- Juventus then travel to Lecce on 25 October and Genoa on 28 October.
- Napoli are scheduled to visit the Allianz Stadium on 1 November.
The figures do not yet include Juventus in Spalletti’s October history. He only arrived in Turin on 31 October last year, taking over from Igor Tudor after a difficult final month under the previous coach, marked by a succession of poor results and performances.
This October therefore carries a different weight. Juventus expect their international players back next week, while those remaining in Turin are due to resume work from tomorrow ahead of the trip to Cagliari.
The sequence is not beyond Juventus, but it leaves little room for complacency. League matches against opponents regarded as manageable cannot be treated lightly if the club are to avoid dropping points in a period already complicated by absences.
Spalletti must continue to work around the injury situation, with rotation likely to be central to the month. There are few players he can currently regard as untouchable, and the distribution of minutes will need to protect a squad that cannot afford further physical setbacks.
The Europa League meetings with Celta Vigo and Rennes have their own importance, with progress towards the round of 16 at stake. Yet the domestic fixtures either side of those games will also shape Juventus’ standing as the season begins to settle.
For Spalletti, the Napoli match will bring an additional personal dimension. Before that occasion arrives, Juventus have a full month in which to turn a demanding run into a steadier chapter of their campaign.
