Juventus vs. Manchester City: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
After the humiliation they suffered at the hands of Liverpool on Saturday, Manchester City will be desperate to make an immediate return to winning ways when they visit Juventus on Wednesday.
City need a win to guarantee top spot in Group D, with Juventus knowing victory for them would see the Turin club join Manuel Pellegrini’s side in the last 16.
If the Blues manage a draw, that will be enough to ensure they go into the final game against Borussia Monchengladbach at home needing three points to finish first.
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The manner of the defeat against Liverpool will have worried Pellegrini, but his players now have a chance to quickly turn things around. A win would see them emulate their 2013/14 achievement of winning all three away group games.
Massimiliano Allegri’s side are in excellent form having lost just once in their last 10 matches. They sit sixth in Serie A, nine points off the top of the table after beating AC Milan 1-0 at the weekend.
Date: Wednesday, November 25
Kick-off: 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET
TV Listings: BT Sport 2 (UK) & Fox Soccer 2GO USA, Fox Sports GO, Fox Sports 2 USA
Live Stream: BT Sport Live Streaming (UK)
Form Guide (Last five results)
Juventus
Juventus 1-0 AC Milan
Empoli 1-3 Juventus
Borussia Monchengladbach 1-1 Juventus (Champions League)
Juventus 2-1 Torino
Sassuolo 1-0 Juventus
Manchester City
City 1-4 Liverpool
Aston Villa 0-0 City
Sevilla 1-3 City (Champions League)
City 2-1 Norwich City
City 5-1 Crystal Palace (League Cup)
Predicted Formations
Juventus
Juventus are without former Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra, while Sami Khedira and Hernanes are also out.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Sandro; Sturaro, Marchisio, Pogba; Cuadrado, Dybala, Morata.
".@OfficialAllegri focuses on three points and progress to the @ChampionsLeague last 16: https://t.co/LfZf9vi8nx #UCL pic.twitter.com/5jUUZaAckS
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) November 24, 2015"
Manchester City
Eliaquim Mangala, Pablo Zabaleta and Vincent Kompany are all out for the trip to Turin, leaving Pellegrini short on defensive numbers. David Silva remains unavailable with an ankle injury, and Wilfried Bony’s hamstring problem is yet to clear up. With Kelechi Iheanacho left out of their Champions League squad, it leaves Pellegrini with just Sergio Aguero as a recognised striker.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Hart; Sagna, Otamendi, Demichelis, Kolarov; Fernando, Fernandinho, Toure; De Bruyne, Sterling, Aguero.
"PELLEGRINI: “I hope that @21lva could be involved in the game at the weekend. I'm not 100% sure but he's improved in the last two days."
— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) November 24, 2015"
Players To Watch
Juventus: Paul Pogba
He’s been somewhat inconsistent this season, but Paul Pogba remains one of the world’s elite players.
There’s little the France international can’t do. He’s strong, quick, full of running, intelligent and gifted in possession. Is there another young player in the game with quite such a comprehensive mix of attributes?
The 22-year-old can produce moments of brilliance and often appears to be doing the job of two men.
Anyone who saw his assist at the Etihad Stadium on Matchday 1 will be aware of his ability to conjure something special in the blink of an eye. City will need to minimise his impact if they want to leave Turin with a positive result.
".@OfficialAllegri: "The difference between @paulpogba and @YayaToure? About 10 years..." #JuveCity #UCL
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) November 24, 2015"
Manchester City: Fernandinho
City’s player of the season so far has been Fernandinho.
Pellegrini’s decision to leave him out of Saturday’s game with Liverpool was a strange one. The midfielder had travelled to South America during the international break, but he’d played just 13 minutes of football. The decision backfired as City looked bereft of energy and enthusiasm in the middle of the pitch.
In City’s last Champions League game, away at Sevilla on Matchday 4, Fernandinho gave a world-class display—a performance of dynamism, stamina and skill. The Spanish club couldn’t handle him, and he was rightly in receipt of widespread praise after the game.
With City desperate for something to cheer after their drubbing at the hands of Liverpool, Fernandinho is their main man and perhaps the key to any success.
Key Battle
Giorgio Chiellini vs. Sergio Aguero
Given he has just returned from a seven-match hiatus due to a grade-two hamstring tear, Pellegrini would ideally have rested Aguero for this match. A cold night game in Turin from which City don’t necessarily need three points would surely have been the ideal opportunity to save him for more comfortable surroundings.
Yet with Bony injured and Iheanacho unavailable, Aguero is likely to start. His 66-minute display against Liverpool will have helped him edge towards full match sharpness, and his superb goal—although in vain—will have done his confidence some good.
Giorgio Chiellini is the man tasked with his keeping him quiet. The 31-year-old is an excellent defender with plenty of experience, but his lack of pace, which has been exposed at times already this season, will be a concern against Aguero.
The Argentinian is explosive, and with City showing against Sevilla they can counter-attack at pace, it will be an area of concern for Allegri.
Odds (Via Odds Shark)
Juventus: +135
City: +192
Draw: +242
"Heading to Turin to support the boys? ✈️ #cityontour is the tag for your tweets and pics. pic.twitter.com/65ZtL3G4My
— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) November 24, 2015"
Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2015/16 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @RobPollard_.
