Juventus Begin Spalletti Era Against Frosinone
Juventus kick off the Luciano Spalletti era on Sunday with a potentially awkward opening-day trip to newly promoted Frosinone, looking to turn a quietly impressive pre-season into an immediate Serie A statement.
Spalletti’s Juventus take shape
The summer offered encouraging signs. Juventus moved through August with a sharp, controlled edge: a 1–0 win over Chelsea, a 2–0 victory against Palermo, and a routine 2–0 success against Juventus Next Gen. Only Inter Milan managed to puncture that rhythm, edging a 2–1 friendly that still underlined Juve’s growing structure under their new coach.
Spalletti arrives with expectations attached. Not just to steady Juventus, but to drag them back into the title conversation. Frosinone away, on paper, is the kind of fixture a serious contender must handle. On opening weekend, it can be anything but simple.
Team news: gaps at the back, star power up front
Juventus travel with a trimmed defensive unit. Federico Gatti, a reliable presence at centre-back, misses out with an ankle injury, leaving Spalletti short of options in the heart of the back line. Young forward Jeff Ekhator is also unavailable.
There is another notable absentee. Michele Di Gregorio has not been included in the travelling squad, with the goalkeeper expected to complete a move to Premier League side Bournemouth. His omission clears the stage for one of the club’s headline arrivals.
Guglielmo Vicario, signed to be the new No.1, is ready. Spalletti has confirmed the former Tottenham goalkeeper will start and make his competitive debut between the posts. At the other end of the pitch, Randal Kolo Muani is set for an equally high-profile first appearance, leading the line from the off.
How Juventus are likely to line up
Vicario’s debut will come behind a back four that is likely to feature Pierre Kalulu, Bremer, Lloyd Kelly and Andrea Cambiaso. It is a unit with pace and aggression, but still short on shared minutes, especially without Gatti’s familiarity.
In midfield, Manuel Locatelli and Douglas Luiz offer a blend of control and bite at the base, the pair expected to dictate the tempo and protect that reshaped defence. Ahead of them, the creative burden falls on Kenan Yıldız, Weston McKennie and Francisco Conceição.
Those three will be tasked with prising open a Frosinone side that will almost certainly be compact, energetic and eager to test Juventus’ resolve. For Kolo Muani, it is a stage to show exactly why the club moved for him: runs in behind, sharp movement in the box, and a cutting edge that Juve have too often lacked.
Predicted Juventus XI: Vicario; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Luiz; Conceicao, McKennie, Yildiz; Kolo Muani.
Kick-off time and how to watch
Frosinone vs Juventus gets underway at 5:30pm BST on Sunday, 23rd August.
In the United Kingdom, the game will be shown live and exclusively on DAZN.
A new coach, a reshaped spine, and two marquee debuts. For Juventus, this is not just the start of a season – it is a test of whether the Spalletti project can ignite from day one.
