Juventus vs Lokomotiv Moscow
Champions League
Date: Tuesday, 22 October 2019
Kick-off at 20:00 UK / 21:00 CET
Venue: Allianz Stadium (Turin).
Team News Juventus vs Lokomotiv Moscow
Juventus
Maurizio Sarri will continue to be without the services of defender Giorgio Chiellini and Mattia De Sciglio, while Douglas Costa and Marko Pjaca also remain available. Emre Can, who reportedly courting interest from Manchester United, is not eligible for competition.
Inevitably there will be some changes to the side that started against Bologna at the weekend. Starting from the end in itself, Gianluigi Buffon is expected to make way for first choice stopper Wojciech Szczesny, while Danilo could return at right-back after recovering from injury. Leonardo Bonucci, Matthijs de Ligt and Alex Sandro should keep their place in the back line.
Bosnian international Miralem Pjanic will slot at the deepest position in the middle of the park and look to dictate the tempo for Juventus. Blaise Matuidi, who did not start against Bologna at the weekend, had to return to the lineup for the summer arrival of Adrien Rabiot partners in midfield.
Aaron Ramsey will likely lose again, as he recovers from a muscle problem, which means Federico Bernardeschi should continue to slot in the hole behind the two forwards for Juventus. Cristiano Ronaldo is a certainty to start in attack, but there may be changes to her partner with Paulo Dybala may come to Gonzalo Higuain.
Possible Lineup (4-3-1-2): Szczesny; Danilo, Bonucci, de Ligt, Sandro; Rabiot, Pjanic, Matuidi; Bernardeschi; Dybala, Ronaldo
Lokomotiv Moscow
There are a number of injury worries manager of Lokomotiv Moscow Semin heading into the clash as the key striker Fedor Smolov set to lose, together with Rifat Zhemaletdinov, Jefferson Farfan, Maciej Rybus and Anton Miranchuk. Luka Djordjevic suffered an injury in the last match against Akhmat Grozny and may not be available as well.
Managers tend to switch to a 4-1-4-1 formation from the 4-4-2 he used over the weekend to reinforce the midfield against quality opposition like Juventus. There was no looking past Guilherme between the sticks for the Russian outfit, but there may be some changes in defense.
Vladislav Ignatyev, who was suspended for the final league game, which is available for this clash and had to slot in at right-back, while Germany defender Benedikt Höwedes also have to come into the side, starting alongside Vedran Corluka. Bryan Idowu is expected to continue at left-back.
Murilo Cerqueira will be defensive midfielder for visitors and will be tasked to disrupt the rhythm of Juventus' in the middle. Support will come from Poland international Grzegorz Krychowiak and Dimitri Barinov, who returned to the side after being suspended for a league match against Akhmat.
Portugal international Joao Mario, who was on the scoresheet at the weekend, will continue to display on the left while Aleksey Miranchuk will bring creative threat from the opposite side. Eder 31 years should continue to lead the line for Lokomotiv in the absence of this Smolov.
Possible Lineup (4-1-4-1): Guilherme; Ignatyev, Corluka, Howedes, Idowu; Cerqueira; Miranchuk, Barinov, Krychowiak, Mario; Eder
Prediction
Juventus could not take their foot off the gas in the Champions League, as they are level on four points with Atletico Madrid. They have won their last six matches in a row in all competitions.
Lokomotiv Moscow only failed to win one of their last seven matches in all competitions and was the 2-0 defeat at home to Atletico. They are expected to drop on Tuesday night.
Prediction:
Juventus 2: 0 Lokomotiv Moscow
