Juventus Begins Spalletti Era Against Frosinone

Juventus kick off the Luciano Spalletti era on Sunday with a potential banana skin: an opening-day trip to newly promoted Frosinone.

It is a fresh start, but not a blind leap. The Bianconeri arrive in Serie A on the back of a steady, quietly convincing pre-season that has given Spalletti something solid to build on.

Spalletti’s Juventus take shape

Across August, Juventus looked organised and efficient rather than spectacular. They edged Chelsea 1–0, then handled Palermo with a controlled 2–0 win. A 2–0 victory over Juventus Next Gen rounded off their preparations, the kind of routine result that managers secretly love.

Only Inter Milan managed to puncture the mood, sneaking a 2–1 win in the only real setback of the summer. Even then, the performance carried enough structure and intent to keep the optimism intact.

Now comes the first real examination.

Team news: big absences, big debuts

Spalletti’s options at the back are already stretched. Federico Gatti, usually such a reliable presence in central defence, misses out with an ankle problem. Young forward Jeff Ekhator is also unavailable, trimming the attacking depth on the bench.

There is another notable omission. Goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio has not travelled, with his expected move to Premier League side Bournemouth looming in the background.

The new coach does, however, arrive in Frosinone with two headline additions ready to step straight into the spotlight. Spalletti has confirmed that summer signings Guglielmo Vicario and Randal Kolo Muani are fully fit and will start.

Vicario takes the gloves immediately, tasked with bringing calm and authority to a reshaped back line. In front of him, Kolo Muani leads the attack, the focal point of an XI designed to dominate the ball and pin back the hosts.

Behind the Frenchman, Juventus will lean on a busy, technically sharp midfield. Manuel Locatelli and Douglas Luiz are expected to control the centre, setting the tempo and feeding a creative trio of Kenan Yıldız, Weston McKennie, and Francisco Conceição. Their job is simple on paper and far trickier on the pitch: unlock a newly promoted side desperate to make a statement in front of their own fans.

Predicted Juventus XI

Spalletti is likely to line up his first competitive Juventus team as follows:

Vicario; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Luiz; Conceicao, McKennie, Yildiz; Kolo Muani.

It is a side that mixes power and energy with a clear attacking intent. For a club that has craved a more progressive identity, it is an intriguing opening gambit.

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 Serie A clash will be shown live and exclusively on DAZN.

A new coach, a new goalkeeper, a new centre-forward. For Juventus, the questions start now.