Juventus will kick-start their UEFA Champions League campaign with a home fixture against Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday night.
Italian giants Juventus are making a comeback to the UEFA Champions League after a one-year absence from the competition. They will look to get started in the best possible way with all three points against PSV Eindhoven, who will be eyeing an upset on the first matchday.
It is the dawn of a new era in the UEFA Champions League as the biggest club competition in Europe will now be played in a new format. Teams will square up against eight different oppositions in the initial league phase, where all 36 teams will be ranked together.
The Old Lady started the new season in fine fashion with back-to-back wins in the Serie A. But they have dropped points in their last outings. They will hope they avoid any slip-ups against the Dutch club as a top-eight finish will be their target.
Meanwhile, the visitors have had a sensational start to the new season having won all five of their league games so far. They will head into this fixture against Juventus high on confidence. While the target will be to make it to the second round by finishing inside the top 24, they will aim for a much higher finish to make the road easier for themselves. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Juventus
Thiago Motta’s team received a major boost as Khephren Thuram and Timothy Weah are both back in the mix. But, the Old Lady might be without the services of Francisco Conceicao, who is struggling with a calf injury.
The home team will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Michele Di Gregorio will be in goal. Pierre Kalulu and Juan Cabal will be the full-backs, while Federico Gatti will feature in the heart of the defence alongside Gleison Bremer.
In the centre of the park, Manuel Locatelli will pair up with Nicolò Fagioli. Not only will they look to shield the backline, but the duo will also look to ensure they have a strong base to attack from. Andrea Cambiaso and Kenan Yıldız will provide width to their attacks, while Teun Koopmeiners will feature as the number 10. He will be the chief creator behind star striker Dušan Vlahovic.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Gatti, Bremer, Cabal; Locatelli, Fagioli; Cambiaso, Koopmeiners, Yildiz; Vlahovic
PSV Eindhoven
The visitors will be without the services of Noa Lang, Rick Karsdorp, Sergino Dest and Armando Obispo. Meanwhile, Hirving Lozano is also a major doubt for this fixture. But, they do have a boost as Luuk de Jong made his return in their last outing and even found the back of the net.
PSV could go ahead with an unchanged XI, where Walter Daniel Benitez will be in goal. Richard Ledezma and Matteo Dams will feature as the full-backs, while Ryan Flamingo will start alongside Olivier Boscagli in the heart of the defence.
The three in the midfield will be Guus Til, Jerdy Schouten and Joey Veerman. The trio will look to ensure Juventus do not end up dictating the ball too deep in their half. Johan Bakayoko and Malik Tillman will feature on the flanks for the away team. They will provide width to their attacks while Luuk de Jong will spearhead the PSV Eindhoven attack against Juventus.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Benitez; Ledezma, Flamingo, Boscagli, Dams; Til, Schouten, Veerman; Bakayoko, De Jong, Tillman
Key Stats
- PSV Eindhoven have won each of their five league outings this season.
- Juventus have been unbeaten in the league but they have played out a draw in their last two outings.
- Two-time champions Juventus missed out on the UEFA Champions League last season after an 11-year-long run in the competition.
- PSV Eindhoven made it to the round of 16 last time out, and they will look to improve on it.
- The Old Lady are all set to make a record 24th appearance in the competition, three more than rivals AC Milan.
Player to Watch
Dusan Vlahovic
The 24-year-old Serbian striker has had an impressive start to the new season as he has found the back of the net on two occasions in his first four outings. Vlahovic will look to carry on in a similar fashion when Juventus take on PSV in their first UEFA Champions League outing of the season.
Prediction
Juventus 2-0 PSV Eindhoven
The Dutch club have had a phenomenal start to the new season as they have won each of their first five league games. But they might still struggle against the Italian giants. While Juventus have played out a draw in their last two league outings, they will still be confident about securing a positive result against PSV. The Hard Tackle predicts an easy 2-0 win for the home team.