This will also be a special occasion for Thiago Motta who will be making his bow in Europe’s elite club competition. The Bianconeri were guided to the tournament by their former coach Massimilano Allegri, but the Italo-Brazilian certainly earned his dues by leading Bologna towards a historic qualification before parting ways with the Emilians at the end of last season.
The 42-year-old will get his taste of the competition while being embroiled in a fascinating tactical battle with his counterpart Peter Bosz who has much more experience under the belt, especially at this stage. So who will prevail on the night?
Match Preview
Juventus
The Bianconeri started their campaign on a bright note, shrugging aside Como and Verona by three unanswered goals. However, they lost some of their steam by settling for two goalless draws against Roma and Empoli in their last two outings.
These less-than-inspiring displays suggest that the players still have a long way to go to master the Motta tactics, while the manager is still experimenting with his squad. He’s been seemingly torn between deploying big-money signings like Teun Koopmeiners and Douglas Luiz, and giving the opportunities for those he deems in better physical condition.
But while the Serie A schedule can be forgiving, the same cannot be said about the Champions League, as each of the eight group-stage fixtures will make a large difference in the table. Hence, the Old Lady cannot afford to start on the wrong foot, especially with more complicated fixtures around the corner.
PSV
The reigning Dutch champions have been a real rampage since the start of the season. They have won each of their first five fixtures in the Eredivisie with a terrifying aggregate score of 20-3. This is a major declaration of intent on PSV’s part, establishing themselves as the ultimate favorites to retain their domestic title, especially with their old nemesis Ajax struggling to find their feet.
Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether the Eindhoven-based giants can take their game up a notch on the continental level as well and act as a nuisance for Europe’s biggest names, beginning with Juventus.
Team News
Motta almost has a full squad to choose from following the return of Timothy Weah and Khephren Thuram, but Francisco Conceicao will remain on the sidelines for a few more weeks, while Arkadiusz Milik’s absence leaves Dusan Vlahovic without a natural understudy.
On the other hand, the Dutch champions will have to do without former Napoli winger Hirving Lozano who’s dealing with a muscular problem, as well as former Roma right-back Rick Karsdorp while Armando Obispo and Sergino Dest remain doubtful.
Juventus vs PSV Potential Line-ups
Juventus (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Gatti, Bremer, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Koopmeiners; Gonzalez, Yildiz, McKennie; Vlahovic
PSV (4-3-3): Benitez; Ledezma, Flamingo, Boscagli, Dams; Til, Schouten, Veerman; Bakayoko, De Jong, Tillman
Juventus vs PSV Prediction
At this point, it feels as if Motta is more concerned about keeping his unbeaten streak intact rather than going full throttle to earn a positive result. Therefore, Juventus might end up sharing the spoils once more.
Prediction: Draw
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