In the second matchday of Champions League action, Italian champions Juventus host Sevilla in hopes of opening up a lead at the top of the group.
On the first matchday of Group D action, both Juventus and Sevilla claimed the three points against Manchester City and Borussia Moenchengladbach respectively. After going down early in the second half, the Italian champions rallied back and claimed the three points at the Etihad Stadium. All in all, Massimiliano Allegri’s side looked good on the night and deserved the three points. Sevilla, on the other hand, comfortably took care of Borussia Moenchengladbach and beat the Germans easily by a score of 3-0. The Spanish side have demonstrated their European pedigree in the last few seasons as they have won the last two editions of the Europa League.
Last season Juventus proved their doubters wrong and made it all the way to the final of the Champions League. Prior to this, the Italian giants failed to replicate their domestic form on the international stage. After losing Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Carlos Tevez, many expected the side to take a step back. However, Allegri’s men showed encouraging signs in their victory over Manchester City and reminded everyone just how good they can be. Going into the game against Sevilla, the bianconeri have the opportunity to claim control of the group despite their poor form in the league.
Sevilla, similarly to Juventus, have enjoyed a torrid start to the new season. Like their opposition, Emery’s men have only won one of their six league games. Despite their overall poor play, Sevilla have not been helped by the injury crisis that has emerged at the club. Moreover, losing a player like Carlos Bacca can hurt any side. In any case, Sevilla showed no signs of their league form in their performance against Borussia Moenchengladbach. The Spanish side were in command of the game from the first minute and dispatched of them rather easily. Like Juventus, a result in their favor can put them in control of this difficult group.
Probable formations –
Juventus (3-5-2): Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini, Cuadrado, Lemina, Khedira, Pogba, Evra; Dybala, Morata.
Today in his pre-match press conference Massimiliano Allegri announced this starting eleven. Due to Stephan Lichtsteiner’s breathing problems and Martin Caceres’ car accident that got him suspended from the side, Juventus were left without an option on the right hand side of defense. As a result, the Juventus boss opted for the 3-5-2 formation with Cuadrado and Evra flanking the side. In defense, the usual trio of Barzagli, Bonucci and Chiellini will start. Up front, we will likely see the duo of Dybala and Morata after the injury to Mario Mandzukic and Simone Zaza’s lack of form.
Sevilla (4-2-3-1): Rico; Coke, Andreolli, Kolodziejczak, Tremoulinas; Krychowiak, N’Zonzi; Reyes, Iborra, Krohn-Dehli; Gameiro.
Unai Emery’s hand has also been forced due to injuries. In goal, Rico will play for the injured Beto while Andreolli and Kolodziejczak will start at the heart of defense in place of Adil Rami and Daniel Carrico. Ever Banega and Fernando Llorente will also miss the trip to Italy. In their place, N’Zonzi and Gameiro are expected to play. Moreover, there are a few doubts going into tomorrow’s game about Krohn-Dehli’s spot in the starting eleven. He is currently vying for a spot against Konoplyanka.
Player to watch – Alvaro Morata
Tomorrow represents an important match for both Juventus and Morata. Should the Italian champions win, they will be in command of group D. For Morata, on the other hand, a goal would equal the record of a certain Alessandro Del Piero. He was quite good, wasn’t he? A goal against the Spaniards would mean that the former Real Madrid man has scored in five consecutive Champions League games. Over the course of that streak, the forward has scored against Real Madrid, (both legs) Barcelona and Manchester City. Not bad. In many ways, Morata is Juventus’ Mr. Champions League. It seems that the bigger the occasion, the better he plays. Tomorrow should be no different as I fully expect Morata to cause Sevilla’s injured defense all kinds of problems. His pace on the counter alongside Dybala can prove a lethal combination in a tight game. In addition to this, Cuadrado should be able to offer the Spaniard adequate supply from the wing. Even if he is not among the goalscorers tomorrow, Morata will play a decisive role in the game one way or another.
Notable comments –
Buffon: “When you look at our team and the fact that players in key areas have departed then, yes, we need time to gel, but we still should have made a stronger start to the season. I expect a difficult match, as Sevilla’s form in Europe would indicate. While they’re not firing on all cylinders at the moment in La Liga, they claimed a comprehensive win against Borussia Monchengladbach, even if that might have been a much more even affair.”
Allegri: “Both teams have got off to poor starts in their respective championships, but in the Champions League they beat Borussia while we won in Manchester, so it will be an evenly-poised fixture. We’ve turned in three strong performances to date: in Shanghai, Manchester and Genoa. These need to become the norm.”
Krychowiak: “We’ve got plenty of confidence following our win over Rayo and we’re looking to translate that into a positive result tomorrow night.”
Emery: ” I believe strongly in the qualities of my players. We’re all pulling in the same direction at the moment and there’s an excellent mentality in our dressing room. We had a fantastic experience in Turin last time out but now we’re in different circumstances. We’re here to enjoy the occasion and to make the most of the opportunity to play in the Champions League.”
Quotes via juventus.com
Writer’s prediction: Juventus-Sevilla (2-1)
The post Juventus v Sevilla: Both Sides Looking To Kick-start their Season appeared first on IFD.
from IFD http://ift.tt/1KL3mhx
via IFTTT berita selengkapnya Follow @jadwalliga
