Juventus hosts Barcelona in the group stage fixture of the UEFA Champions League 2020-21 on Wednesday night.
Match Timings: Oct 29, 1:30 AM
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Champions League is ready to witness the rivalry of Ronaldo and Messi in its 2020-21 season at Allianz Stadium. Juventus will enter into the 200th Champions League outing and if they emerge victoriously, they would earn 100th win in the competition which is a record for any team. Both sides faced each other in 2015’s Champions League final when Barcelona beat the Serie A club. Andrea Pirlo will have his first Champions League home game as a manager. Pirlo’s side is the current Italian champion and aiming for 10th successive title in Serie A. In the ongoing season, they are standing at 5th after 5 games so it would be a tough task for the World Cup winner Pirlo. They have appeared in three draws from the last four encounters in Serie A. The Italian Club started the 2020-21 Champions League campaign with 2-0 win over Dynamo, courtesy of Morata’s brace in the second half. Ronaldo is expected to miss this game as the Portugal International was tested positive for COVID-19 earlier.
Meanwhile, Barcelona’s 2020-21 campaign in La Liga is not convincing so far under the new boss Ronald Koeman. They beat Villarreal and Celta Vigo comprehensively. In previous two outings, they suffered defeats against Getafe and Real Madrid. The home defeat in El Classico was the big setback for Koeman’s side. The Catalan giants are placed at 12th in La Liga with 7 points from five games. The Serie A champions have won their last four Champions League home games and have only lost four of their 42 UEFA matches at the Allianz Stadium. The Spanish giants have a good record in group stage games in Champions league with an unbeaten run in their last three editions. They have never won away game against Juventus and they have six wins from their 16 previous away fixture on the road.
Current Form & Possible Lineups
Juventus
Lineup: Szczesny; Demiral, Bonucci, Danilo; Chiesa, Bentancur, Rabiot, Cuadrado; Ramsey; Dybala, Morata
All competitions form: W D W D W D
Barcelona
Lineup: Neto; Dest, Araujo, Lenglet, Alba; Pjanic, De Jong; Dembele, Messi, Fati; Griezmann
All competitions form: W W D L W L
Key Players
Juventus
Morata
2 goals in Champions League 2020-21
Chiesa
1 goal & 2 assist in Champions League 2020-21
Barcelona
Messi
1 goal & 1 assist in Champions League 2020-21
Dembele
1 goal & 1 assist in Champions League 2020-21
