Juventus host Bayern Munich at the Juventus Stadium this coming Tuesday in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie.
The hosts come off the back off a 0-0 stalemate over the weekend against Bologna, in which their incredible run of 15 matches without dropping points was finally halted. Meanwhile, their German counterparts picked up all three points in a 3-1 win over Darmstadt courtesy of a Thomas Muller brace and Robert Lewandowski goal.
For both sides, this represents a tough draw. Juventus had looked primed to secure first spot throughout the group stage until dropping points to both Sevilla and Borussia Monchengladbach, meaning Allegri’s men would finish second behind Manchester City and brave a tougher opponent heading into the round of 16.
Unfortunately for them, they drew arguably the toughest side in this season’s competition, Bayern Munich. For Pep Guardiola’s side, this is not the easiest clash either. The German champions would have been hoping for an easier opponent but have instead been drawn a much improved Juventus side (since the conclusion of the group stage) and a team which finished runners up in last season’s edition.
Key Battle – Bayern attack vs Juventus defence
The Italians head into Tuesday’s fixture with an incredible run of eight clean sheets in a row, something that will hold them in good stead against a relentless Bayern Munich attack which has scored a whopping 56 Bundesliga goals this season. With defensive warrior Giorgio Chiellini out, Juventus could be forced to operate with a four-man defence, a system they have not used as frequently this season.
Meanwhile for Bayern Munich, their attack has remained flawless this season, led largely by Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, who boasts a remarkable 32 goals in 32 appearances.
Team News
Both sides have had quite the injury list this season with a large volume of players frequently being sidelined. Juventus will be without, as mentioned, Chiellini as he deals with a leg injury. Alex Sandro is a short-term injury and will miss the first leg while Martin Caceres’ season is over. Mario Mandzukic is expected to make his return against his former side while Juan Cuadrado and Sami Khedira were also declared fit to play.
Juventus Expected XI (4-3-1-2): Buffon (GK); Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Bonucci, Evra; Pogba, Marchisio, Khedira; Pereyra; Dybala, Mandzukic.
Bayern will be without defenders Holger Badstuber, Mehdi Benatia and Javi Martinez. Franck Ribery and Mario Gotze have recently returned to action.
Bayern Munich Expected XI (4-1-4-1): Neuer (GK); Rafinha, Kimmich, Tasci, Alaba; Vidal, Costa, Muller, Robben, Ribery; Lewandowski.
Head-to-Head
Bayern come out on top in head-to-head victories with four compared to Juventus’ three. The 2009-10 Champions League saw the only draw between the two sides, a 0-0 stalemate. Bayern have won the last three matches, with Juve’s most recent victory against the Germans coming over a decade ago in 2005.
Previous Meeting
The two sides met in the quarter-finals of the 2013 edition of the Champions League with Bayern coming away 2-0 winners in both legs.
Prediction
Expect a much more competitive Juventus than we have seen on the past few occasions these two have met. At home, the Bianconeri will need to pick up the win as things will become much more difficult at the Allianz Arena where Bayern almost score at ease. However, equally, Bayern are more than capable of picking up wins at both venues. An evenly matched game, will end in a similarly equal scoreline.
Juventus 1 Bayern Munich 1
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