Champions League 2017: Group Live Stream, TV Schedule, Wednesday Predictions

Juventus will be hoping to ease any fears of missing out on the group stage of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, when they host Barcelona in the marquee clash of the evening.

The Bianconeri have not been at their best in the competition this term and remain in contention with Sporting CP for a spot in the next round. A positive result would be a major boost to them here, though Barcelona are in exceptional form under head coach Ernesto Valverde.

In Group C, Atletico Madrid are clinging to their qualification hopes and must beat AS Roma to stand a chance of getting through. Elsewhere, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United will be out to preserve their perfect records against Celtic and FC Basel, respectively.

Here are the fixtures to come on Wednesday including a prediction for each, viewing details and a closer look at the standout match of the evening.

Wednesday, November 22

Group A: FC Basel vs. Manchester United (1-2), CSKA Moscow vs. Benfica (1-2)

Group B: Anderlecht vs. Bayern Munich (0-2), Paris Saint-Germain vs. Celtic (4-0)

Group C: FK Qarabag vs. Chelsea (0-2), Atletico Madrid vs. AS Roma (1-1)

Group D: Juventus vs. Barcelona (1-1), Sporting CP vs. Olympiakos (2-1)

TV Info: BT Sport (UK), FOX Sports (U.S.)

Live Stream: BT Sport website (UK), FOX Sports Go (U.S.)

Juventus vs. Barcelona

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When Juventus suffered defeat to Barcelona earlier in the Champions League campaign, they still had plenty of time to recover in a group that contains Sporting CP and Olympiakos. But this clash is now a key one for the Bianconeri, and pressure has been heaped on the side ahead of the arrival of the Blaugrana.

Juve suffered a surprise 3-2 loss in Serie A to Sampdoria on Sunday, meaning they fell further behind Napoli in the race for the Scudetto. They were also usurped by Inter Milan in second. 

Confidence, as a result, may not be too high. But as we can see, courtesy of the competition's official Twitter account, they have a proud Champions League record to protect at their home stadium in Turin:

As well as restoring some belief, a win is needed to ensure the 2016-17 runners-up don't suffer the ignominy of a group-stage exit. Juve have accrued just seven points from their four games, with Sporting three back and at home to winless Olympiakos on Wednesday.

While the worst that could happen for Juve here is that they would be level with Sporting on Wednesday night, the prospect of going into the last game in Greece knowing qualification is on a knife edge would be far from ideal, especially with Sporting up against a Barcelona team with nothing to play for.

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For the Blaugrana, this is an intriguing one, as they have already booked their place in the last 16. And given Valverde has not tweaked his team too often in 2017-18, he may view this contest as a chance to rest some key personnel ahead of the huge clash with Valencia in La Liga on Sunday night.

Luis Suarez is one man who may benefit from being kept in the XI, though. The Uruguay international hasn't enjoyed the best beginning to the campaign, but he got back to goalscoring ways against Leganes at the weekend with two poached efforts.

As noted by Eurosport UK, the goals were a long time coming for the Uruguayan:

Barcelona have been a tough nut to crack throughout this term. Sure, the majesty of Lionel Messi and vibrancy of Suarez make them a major threat in the final third—they showed as much in the 3-0 win over Juve in September—but Valverde has triggered improvements in players such as Samuel Umtiti and Marc-Andre ter Stegen, too, making the team much more capable at the back.

Journalist Rafael Hernandez believes there's still a lot more to come from this team in terms of flair and fluidity, too:

It means Juventus will be taking on a much-improved version of Barca than the one they knocked out of the Champions League quarter-finals earlier in the year. 

Expect the Bianconeri to be aggressive and attacking in their play, giving their opponents lots to consider from a defensive point of view.

And while it may not be enough for them to secure qualification on Wednesday, a point will be a step forward for a stuttering Juve, not to mention a major stride towards the knockout stages.

Prediction: Juventus 1-1 Barcelona