Juventus are riding a very good run of results of late. And The Old Lady will try to extend their superb domestic form to Europe, as they will play against FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal round. The first leg will be played this Tuesday on Juventus’ home venue.
Team News
Juventus manager Massimo Allegri could have the majority of his squad available for this match. Mario Mandzukic is dealing with a knee injury, and his status for this game is day-to-day. Moise Kean is dealing with an ankle injury as well. Meanwhile, Marko Pjaca will miss the remainder of the season with an ACL injury.
Allegri decided to call 23 players for this match, although only 18 will suit up prior to kickoff.
The Soccer News team has prepared a predicted line-up and formation Juventus are expected to field this Tuesday.
Defence
Veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon will stand between the posts for this pivotal contest. In front of him, Allegri will deploy the same back-four he’s been using for most Champions League matches. Dani Alves and Alex Sandro will feature at right and left, respectively, while Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci will play as centre backs.
Andrea Barzagli, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Daniele Rugani could all feature as options, but it seems Allegri will not change what has worked through most of the season.
Midfield
The midfield area is one of the strongest in a deep Juventus squad. Allegri has lots of options for two spots in central midfield, but Miralem Pjanic and Sami Khedira have the upper hand to start. Tomas Rincon could also be an option for a more defensive role.
In front of them, Juan Cuadrado would slot on the right wing while Mandzukic would play on the opposite flank. The Croatian forward has been dealing with a knee problem, though, and he will likely undergo a late-fitness test to see if he will be able to start.
In case Mandzukic can’t start, then his place in the starting XI would be occupied by Mario Lemina or Claudio Marchisio. But if the latter starts, then Paulo Dybala would likely move into a wing role.
Attack
The attack will feature Gonzalo Higuain and Dybala, with the latter playing as a second forward and the former as the lone striker upfront. This duo has given Juventus lots of satisfactions this season, and both seem to get along quite well. The numbers don’t lie, as Dybala and Higuain have combined for 34 goals across all competitions.
In fact, Higuain has three goals in seven Champions League appearances this season. On the other hand, Dybala has netted twice in six European contests thus far.
Juventus predicted line-up / Image by SoccerNews.com
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