Juventus are still looking for their first seasonal win after a pitiful start in Serie A and they will seek the remedy for their sorrows in Europe as they take on Malmo, on paper the easiest opponent on the schedule in the first phase. Their group also comprises Chelsea and Zenit.
Malmo vs Juventus Head-to-Head
The two sides met just twice, in 2014, during Massimiliano Allegri’s first stint at the helm. The Bianconeri took home both contests with two-nil results. Carlos Tevez decided the Turin one with a brace. Fernando Llorente and again the Argentinian striker hit the net in Sweden. The Old Lady reached the final in that edition, which they lost at the hands of Barcelona.
Malmo Preview
Malmo are in the midst of their season as they just played in the 18th Allsvenskan matchday out of 30. They are in a bit of a slump as they have won just once in their last five domestic matches, tying twice. They are coming off a draw with Norrkoping, while they were recently defeated by Hammarby and Goteborg. The Himmelsblatt dropped to third place as Djurgarden and AIK overtook them in the standing. Still, they are three points away from the top.
Malmo had to go through four rounds of playoffs to make it to this point, tying a record. They previously eliminated Riga FC, HJK, Rangers, and Ludogorets. They lost just once in the eight games, away game versus the Bulgarian side, but they already had a firm grasp on the qualification. Their last appearance in the group stage of the top continental competition dates back to 2016.
Jon Dahl Tomasson, nu även en Champions League-coach! ? pic.twitter.com/eouMXyv963
— Malmö FF (@Malmo_FF) August 24, 2021
The Swedish club is particularly solid at home. They dropped just one of their past eight tilts on their own turf. They have won six out of eight following the July resumption, including all the Champions League bouts.
Juventus Preview
The Bianconeri are reeling following the second straight Serie A loss. Napoli topped them over the weekend in a match where they fielded a very depleted squad. Still, they managed to grab an early lead thanks to a cheap goal by Alvaro Morata. However, two blunders by Wojciech Szczesny and Moise Kean did them in. Kalidou Koulibaly put his team on top with five minutes to go after the Partenopei had pulled the strings for the entirety of the contest.
The Old Lady blew a two-goal lead in the opener versus Udinese, coming away with just a point. Empoli stunned them at home in the second Serie A round. The Bianconeri failed to muster a credible reaction after Leonardo Mancuso found the target in the first half. They already have an eight-point gap compared to the League-leading Milan, Roma, and Napoli. They have looked rather clueless thus far.
Malmo vs Juventus Players to Watch
Anel Ahmedhodzic has been on the radar of a few big teams in the summer window. Atalanta appeared to be the most interested side in Italy, but they could not strike a deal with Malmo and opted for other targets. The 22-year-old towering defender will be looking to make a good impression on a big stage. Veteran striker Antonio Colak is Malmo’s leading scorer with eight goals. They have a pretty experienced squad overall.
Juventus will most likely lean heavily on Paulo Dybala, who was handed the reins following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo. La Joya shined in the opener but did not do much versus Empoli. He did not play against Napoli following a late return from Argentina.
Malmo vs Juventus Predicted Line-ups
Malmo, who are coached by former Milan striker Jon Dahl Tomasson, generally utilize a 3-4-3 or a 4-4-2 scheme. After sparing them over the weekend following international duties, Massimiliano Allegri will rely on the South Americans in this one. Paulo Dybala, Danilo, Alex Sandro, and Rodrigo Bentancur will probably all make the starting XI. Federico Chiesa will miss the second game in a row due to a minor thigh problem he picked up while with Italy. Federico Bernardeschi is missing as well for unspecified reasons. Giorgio Chiellini is unlikely to play as he got the nod versus Napoli and will probably do the same on the ensuing date with Milan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Juan Cuadrado is available, contrarily to some early reports, because the suspensions for yellow-card accumulation do not carry over from season to season.
Malmo (3-4-3): Diawara; Ahmedhodzic, Nielsen, Brorsson; Larsson, Innocent, Christiansen, Rieks; Berget, Colak, Birmancevic.
Juventus (4-3-3): Szczesny; Danilo, Bonucci, De Ligt, Alex Sandro; Bentancur, Locatelli, Rabiot; Cuadrado, Dybala, Morata.