Juventus will have pride and a Europa League spot to fight for when they welcome PSG to the Allianz Stadium on Wednesday
Italian giants Juventus will be playing for pride when they welcome French champions PSG to the Allianz Stadium on Wednesday. Having lost four of their five games in the UEFA Champions League group stages so far, they are currently staring at the abyss.
Paris Saint-Germain have little to nothing to play for and have already guaranteed their participation in the knockouts of the competition. Even if they ring in the changes on the night, there should be enough in the locker to see off Juventus.
Massimilano Allegri’s men aren’t just dealing with a bout of poor form but also an abject list of injuries. Several top players have been ruled out of the game, and Allegri will struggle to put out a side that can match PSG in terms of ability.
The French champions have been lethargic at times in defence, but Juventus lack the players capable of doing that. Allegri might very well have to opt for damage limitation should PSG get off to a fast start.
In a game that boasts of some big names on paper, it is difficult to see the visitors not come away with all three points. Should Maccabi Haifa pick up more points than Juventus on the night, the Israelis will condemn Allegri and co to the bottom spot in the group, knocking them out of Europe altogether.
Pavel Nedved recently commented that Juventus still retain faith in Allegri. Just how long they will persist with the Italian if the humiliation comes to pass remains to be seen.
The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Juventus
A wrap of the Mister and @Cuadrado's #JUVPSG pre-match thoughts 🗞️
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) November 1, 2022
The Bianconeri are coming off a narrow 1-0 win over Lecce thanks to a second-half strike from Nicolo Fagioli at the weekend. It was a much-needed result for a side struggling to gain a foothold on both domestic and continental fronts.
Injuries have not helped matters either with arguably their two best players, Paul Pogba and Federico Chiesa yet to take to the field this season. Perhaps to drive home the point that it is not Juventus’s season, Dusan Vlahovic will miss the game with an adductor injury, while Weston McKennie picked up a muscular issue against Lecce.
Matias Soule picked up a knock at the weekend, and will join Marley Ake, Leandro Paredes, Angel Di Maria, Gleison Bremer, Mattia De Sciglio, Samuel Iling-Junior and Kaio Jorge on the sidelines. Brazilian defender Danilo will also miss out due to a suspension.
A lone positive is the return of Manuel Locatelli, who will, at the very least, help Massimiliano Allegri put out a team of 11 players who are recognizable to the casual viewer. With options limited, Juventus are likely to step out in a 3-5-2 formation that can also drop to a 5-3-2 when not in possession.
Wojciech Szczesny should start in goal behind a back three of Leonardo Bonucci, Daniele Rugani and Federico Gatti. Juan Cuadrado should serve as the right-wing back, with Filip Kostic donning the role on the opposite flank.
Manuel Locatelli should act as the lynchpin in midfield, with Adrien Rabiot and Fabio Miretti alongside him. Moise Kean and Arkadiusz Milik will be expected to shore up the attack and cause PSG a problem or two.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Szczesny; Rugani, Bonucci, Gatti; Cuadrado, Miretti, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic; Milik, Kean
Paris Saint-Germain
Unlike Juventus, PSG have several players to choose from a stacked roster. Danilo Pereira returned to training from a hamstring injury but is unlikely to be risked. Presnel Kimpembe and Keylor Navas are both suffering from niggles and look set to miss out.
Christophe Galtier will also be glad about the return of Marco Verratti, who served his suspension against Maccabi Haifa. The French champions are unbeaten this season and could put the final nail in Juventus’s coffin on the night.
PSG are likely to line up in a 4-3-1-2 system. Gianluigi Donnarumma will start in goal behind the back four of Achraf Hakimi, Sergio Ramos, Marquinhos and Nuno Mendes.
Destination: 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧!#JUVPSG I #UCL pic.twitter.com/vuqBRQ5YSf
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) November 1, 2022
The trio of Marco Verratti, Fabian Ruiz and an in-form Carlos Soler should hold the fort in midfield, giving Lionel Messi the freedom to function as the number 10. The Argentine has been sensational of late and will be tasked with feeding opportunities to the front two of Kylian Mbappe and Pablo Sarabia.
PSG’s transition from defence to attack will present a massive threat to Juventus, who have shown themselves quite capable of being caught out. The infusion of pace that Mbappe brings on the counter will especially prove difficult to halt for a slow Bianconeri backline.
Probable Lineup (4-3-1-2): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Ramos, Marquinhos, Mendes; Soler, Verratti, Ruiz; Messi; Sarabia, Mbappe
Key Stats
- Juventus have won six of their eight meetings with PSG so far. The lone loss came earlier in the season when the French champions prevailed 2-1 at the Parc des Princes.
- This is PSG’s first visit to Juventus since 1996. Le Parisiens are winless in their last four trips to face the Turin giants.
- Juventus have never before lost four Champions League games in the group stages of a single campaign.
- A loss on the night will equal Juventus’s worst-ever record of five losses in a single Champions League campaign set in 2002-03.
- PSG have won the final game of the group stage in their last four Champions League campaigns by at least four goals.
- This is the first time since the 2013-14 campaign that Juventus will not take part in the Champions League knockout stages.
Player to Watch
Carlos Soler
The summer signing is starting to find his feet at the Parc des Princes and has now found the back of the net in consecutive games. This augurs well for PSG, allowing them to rest the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar as the season enters its busy spell.
A solid player in the middle of the park, the Spaniard has the intelligence to make threatening runs and also link the midfield to the attack. With Juventus lacking some of their best players, Soler could move in between the lines, and carve openings for Messi to move into and wreak havoc.
Soler’s movement will be difficult for Locatelli to keep up with, especially with Verratti on his case. The PSG number 28 will certainly be a player to watch out for on the night.
Prediction
Juventus 0-3 PSG
Given Juventus’s injuries and abject form, it is difficult to see PSG secure anything but a win on the night. Galtier’s men are in remarkable form and will be keen to keep their unbeaten run going. The inert Bianconeri defence should struggle with the lack of cover in front of them and their lack of pace. It is difficult to see anything less than a comfortable win for the visitors on the night.
