Juventus go to AZ with the whole spine of their midfield on the injury list, and I think that is a different problem from the usual "lots of absentees" story. Our availability data has Locatelli, Gonzalez and McKennie out, which removes the three players who would normally set the tempo, and Thuram, Yildiz and Conceição are out up front as well. So the question is not whether Juve have enough bodies, but who in a rebuilt middle can take the ball off the back line under an AZ press.
Juventus first. Per our availability records, Rugani and Zhegrova are listed out with no reason given, Celik and Grabara are out injured, and Milik's status is unknown. That is a lot of reshuffling at once, in midfield and in the back line behind it. If the middle is thin, the centre-backs get the ball with less support, which is where a home side can win it high.
AZ have their own gaps. Hornkamp, Smit and Resink are out injured, Verhulst is listed out without a reason, and Zoet's status is unknown, so there may be a question mark in goal as well. These are data-feed entries rather than club confirmation, so I would treat the goalkeeper line in particular as unsettled until a lineup appears.
Where the two interlock: AZ's missing players look like forward and defensive depth, while Juve's are central creators. The thing to watch is whether AZ can turn a Juve midfield error into a quick transition before Juve's reshuffled back line settles. Or does Juve's lack of ball carriers just mean they sit deeper and the game stays quiet?
