Juventus will hit the road to square up against Celta Vigo in Matchday 2 of the UEFA Europa League.
Juventus will look to retain the top spot in the Europa League table when they square up against La Liga outfit Celta Vigo at Balaidos on Thursday night.
The home team are ninth in La Liga with eight points in as many outings. O Celeste have only secured one win and have played out as many as five draws in the league. Celta Vigo are unbeaten in their last five league outings, including a goalless draw against Elche this past weekend.
However, they lost 1-0 to Omonoia in their UEFA Europa League opener and will be eager to get their campaign back on track. But taking down one of the favourites for the competition is not going to be an easy task.
Meanwhile, the visitors are sixth in Serie A with 11 points in six outings. Luciano Spalletti’s men have won three, drawn two and lost one game in the league. They cruised to a 5-0 win over NEC Nijmegen in their first European game of the campaign and will look to build on that result here.
While they are heading into this fixture on the back of a disappointing 1-1 draw against Cagliari, the Old Lady have enough quality in their ranks to secure all three points from this away fixture and get their season back on track. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Celta Vigo
The home team will be without the services of Carl Starfelt (hamstring), Miguel Roman (unspecified), and Jones El-Abdellaoui (knee). Apart from the trio, everyone else is available for selection.
Celta Vigo are expected to line up in a 3-4-3 formation vs Juventus, with Ionut Radu starting in goal. Sebastian Caceres, Yoel Lago, and Marcos Alonso should form the back three, while Javi Rueda and Javi Galan are likely to operate as the wing-backs.
As for the midfield unit, Aleix Febas and Ilaix Moriba are expected to pair up in the middle of the park, providing defensive cover and helping the hosts compete for control of the game.
Pablo Duran and Hugo Alvarez should provide width in the final third, with Ferran Jutgla leading the line for Celta Vigo against Juventus. The front three will look to stretch the opposition defence and make the most of the limited opportunities that come their way.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Radu; Caceres, Lago, Alonso; Rueda, Febas, Moriba, Galan; Duran, Jutgla, Alvarez
Juventus
Luciano Spalletti is expected to make quite a few changes to the XI that started in their last outing. With the club playing five games in a period of two weeks, the Italian tactician will look to rotate his players and keep them fresh.
The Old Lady remain without the services of Manuel Locatelli (meniscus), Kenan Yildiz (foot), Khephren Thuram (unspecified), Jeremie Boga (thigh), Jeff Ekhator (thigh), and Kamil Grabara (knee). However, they have a boost, as Lloyd Kelly is back available after serving a suspension in their last European outing.
Juventus are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Celta Vigo, with Guglielmo Vicario starting in goal. Zeki Celik and Andrea Cambiaso should operate as full-backs, while Federico Gatti is likely to line up alongside Lloyd Kelly at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Douglas Luiz and Pape Matar Sarr are expected to form the double pivot in the centre of the pitch, providing defensive cover and helping the side control possession.
Kerim Alajbegovic and Nicolas Gonzalez should operate on the flanks, with Weston McKennie playing behind Randal Kolo Muani, who is likely to spearhead the Juventus attack against Celta Vigo on Thursday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Celik, Gatti, Kelly, Cambiaso; Luiz, Sarr; Alajbegovic, McKennie, Gonzalez; Kolo Muani
Key Stats
- The two teams have squared up against each other on two occasions back in the 1999/00 season, with Celta Vigo winning 4-0 at home, while Juventus won 1-0 on their turf.
- Juventus have two wins in their last five games across competitions.
- Celta Vigo have only won one out of their nine games this term.
- The Old Lady have kept a clean sheet in three out of their last six games in all competitions (5-0 win vs Racing Santander).
- While Celta Vigo lost their UEFA Europa League opener against Omonoia, Juventus secured a comfortable 5-0 win over NEC.
Player to Watch
Weston McKennie
The 28-year-old American midfielder has had a few injury concerns this season. He has only been involved in four games so far and has an assist to his name. McKennie was taken off at half-time in their last outing, and he did not have the kind of impact Juventus fans were hoping for.
The USMNT international will look to ensure he can put up a much improved performance in this Europa League fixture away from home. McKennie certainly has the quality to make a difference here, and it won’t be a surprise if this ends up being the game where he returns to his best.
Prediction
Celta Vigo 0-3 Juventus
Celta Vigo have been difficult to beat in La Liga in recent weeks, but their tendency to drop points could prove costly against a Juventus side with greater quality across the pitch. The hosts will look to use their wing-backs to create width and trouble the visitors in the final third, but Juventus should have enough defensive quality to keep them at bay.
Juventus have shown their attacking potential with a 5-0 win over NEC in their Europa League opener, and they will look to build on that result here. Weston McKennie could be key in linking the midfield with the attack, while Randal Kolo Muani will look to make the most of the chances created for him. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for the away team.
