In a bid to maintain their perfect start to the Champions League season, Juventus look to usurp Zenit St. Petersburg in their second successive matchup in Group H.
The Russians were narrowly edged by the Bianconeri on last match day by a 1-0 scoreline and desperately need a win to stay in contention for a Round of 16 spot.
Preview
Although Juventus have been at their best in Europe so far, having maintained clean sheets in their three games in Europe, their form in Serie A form has been less than convincing. The Bianconeri were edged by a single goal in a 2-1 loss at the Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi just three days after their defeat to Sassuolo by the same scoreline.
The Bianconeri are winless in their last three matches with their last victory arriving incidentally against Zenit in Russia. They can get some inspiration from their European form at the moment, having recorded 13 wins from their last 14 Champions League group games.
The Russian champions have won both their league matches since losing out to Juventus a fortnight ago. In stark contrast to the Italians’ domestic form and seeking their fourth consecutive league title, Zenitchiki are flying high in the Russian Premier League as they sit clear by five points on top of the table.
Having frustrated both Chelsea and Juventus earlier in the campaign, Zenit have a realistic chance of doing that once again. However, they are winless in nine away UCL matches (W0, D1, L8) – their longest stretch of away games without victory in Europe.
Previous Results
Juventus – L, L, L, W, W
Zenit – W, W, D, L, L
Expected Lineups & Team News
Juventus
Federico Chiesa is expected in time to recover from a muscle injury, as opposed TO Aaron Ramsey or Moise Kean, who are both still unaccounted for. Mattia De Sciglio is the only confirmed absence from Massimiliano Allegri’s side.
3-5-2 – Szczesny; Danilo, Bonucci, De Ligt, Sandro; Cuadrado, Bentancur, Locatelli, Chiesa; Morata, Dybala
Zenit
Douglas Santos picked up a muscle strain two matches ago and is touted to sit out whereas Magomed Ozdoev is expected to return from a knee ligament injury. In-form Artem Dzyuba, who recently became Russian Premier League’s all-time goalscorer with 144 goals on Friday, is a strong contender to start but Sergei Semak’s starting line-up is hard to predict.
4-3-3 – Kritsyuk; Lovren, Chistyakov, Rakitskyi; Sutormin, Kuzyaev, Wendel, Karavaev; Malcom, Azmoun, Claudinho
Prediction: Juventus 2-1 Zenit
Zenit have better momentum going into the match at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, but with the help of the home supporters, Juventus have a realistic chance of continuing their blistering European form.