Juventus Begin Spalletti Era Against Frosinone

Juventus kick off the Luciano Spalletti era on Sunday with a trip that looks simple on paper and anything but in reality: away to newly promoted Frosinone in their Serie A opener.

It is a fresh start wrapped in familiar pressure. This is Juventus. There are no gentle introductions.

Spalletti’s Juventus take shape

If August was a dress rehearsal, Juventus passed it with quiet authority. Spalletti’s side tightened up, stayed compact, and did enough in both boxes.

They edged Chelsea 1–0, then handled Palermo 2–0. A 2–0 win over Juventus Next Gen rounded off pre-season with another clean sheet. The only blemish came in a narrow 1–2 defeat to Inter Milan, a reminder that the margin for error against the elite remains slim.

Even so, the overall tone has been reassuring. The structure looks clearer. The ideas, sharper. Now comes the first real measurement.

Early problems at the back

Spalletti will not have a full deck to play with.

Federico Gatti, one of the most reliable figures in the back line, misses out with an ankle injury, leaving Juventus light in central defence. Young forward Jeff Ekhator is also unavailable, trimming attacking options from the bench.

There is another notable absence. Michele Di Gregorio has not been named in the travelling squad, with the goalkeeper expected to complete a move to Premier League side Bournemouth. His omission clears the stage for a new number one.

Big signings straight into the fire

This is where the optimism kicks in.

Spalletti has confirmed that both marquee summer arrivals, Guglielmo Vicario and Randal Kolo Muani, are not only fit but starting. No easing them in. No half measures.

Vicario takes the gloves and, with Gatti out and Di Gregorio on his way, instantly becomes a central figure in how this Juventus side builds from the back and survives under pressure.

Ahead of him, a likely defensive line of Pierre Kalulu, Bremer, Lloyd Kelly and Andrea Cambiaso will be asked to provide both solidity and width, especially against a Frosinone side that will look to feed off the energy of a home crowd tasting top-flight football again.

Up front, Kolo Muani leads the line. His job is simple in description, brutal in reality: stretch the game, run the channels, and turn half-chances into goals. Around him, Spalletti is assembling a midfield that can both graft and create.

Manuel Locatelli and Douglas Luiz are expected to sit at the base, controlling tempo and winning second balls. Ahead of them, Kenan Yıldız, Weston McKennie and Francisco Conceição carry the creative burden, tasked with prising open a defence that will likely sit deep and compact.

If this works, Juventus will have a fluid front four, with runners arriving from midfield and width from Cambiaso and Kalulu. If it misfires, the game could drift into exactly the kind of frustrated stalemate that trips up title hopefuls on opening weekends.

Predicted Juventus XI

Spalletti’s first competitive lineup in charge is expected to look like this:

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

Plenty of newness. Plenty of responsibility.

Kick-off and how to watch

Frosinone vs Juventus kicks off at 5:30pm BST on Sunday, 23rd August.

In the United Kingdom, the Serie A clash will be shown live exclusively on DAZN.

A new coach, a reshaped spine, and a promoted side desperate to make a statement. For Juventus, this is not just a season opener. It is the first answer to a blunt question: how quickly can Spalletti turn promise into power?