Juventus v Genoa: Vidal hungry for revenge

Arturo Vidal insists Juventus have revenge on their minds heading into Sunday’s clash with Genoa after suffering their only Serie A defeat this season against them in October. 

Juve’s near perfect start to 2014-15 included seven wins and a draw from their opening eight league matches, but a trip to Genoa tarnished that run.

Luca Antonini’s 94th-minute win at Luigi Ferraris produced the only blot on Juve’s Serie A campaign to date, with Vidal keen to make amends this weekend.

Buoyed by their midweek victory at Borussia Dortmund to ease into the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals 5-1 on aggregate, league leaders Juve can move another step closer to a fourth successive title.

“We were delighted [to win 3-0 in Dortmund],” said Vidal. “These are victories that help a lot, the evening was almost perfect.

“[Now] we have to concentrate, because we have to win the fourth league title. 

“Moreover, against Genoa we must overturn the only defeat in the league.”

With 11 league games remaining, Juve sit 14 points clear of Roma at the top. And, while the battle rages for the final Champions League places below them, Massimiliano Allegri’s side continue to cruise.

A momentous treble remains on the cards for Allegri in his debut season, with a Coppa Italia semi-final second leg against Fiorentina still to come.

Genoa were the surprise package during the first half of the campaign and even climbed as high as third at one point.

However, only two victories since mid-December has seen their dreams of European football fade away and Genoa face a battle to preserve a top-half finish.

A three-match winless run has seen Gian Piero Gasperini’s side drop to seventh, with 11th-placed Palermo only two points behind.

Defeat in Turin could see them tumble further down the table, but there is a glimmer of hope given that Juve will be without star midfielder Paul Pogba and in-form striker Alvaro Morata.

Pogba suffered a hamstring injury during the win over Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park and will miss the next seven weeks with a grade two tear. Morata is banned and Claudio Marchisio is a doubt after missing training on Friday due to illness.

Genoa are without the suspended duo of Iago Falque and Tomas Rincon, while M’Baye Niang is a doubt through injury.