Italian giants Juventus host Manchester City at the Allianz Stadium in Turin in a clash that could significantly impact their chances of advancing to the next round.
Juventus, led by former midfielder Thiago Motta, will aim to leverage their home advantage. The Bianconeri are eager to secure an automatic qualification slot to the knockout round.
After struggling in the Europa League last term, they are desperate to re-establish themselves as Champions League contenders.
On the other hand, Manchester City must put behind the poor form that is currently plaguing them.
At the time of writing, they have failed to win their last six on the spin. In their latest outing, they let a 3-0 lead slip as Dutch heavyweights Feyenoord pegged them back 3-3.
With an automatic qualification slot likely up for grabs, this should be a heated European clash between two winning machines and a fascinating match-up. Expect tickets to sell out quickly.
However, seatsnet.com is an ever-reliable platform for fans to secure Juventus vs Manchester City tickets at unbeatable prices.
This one has all the makings of a European classic, and fans will be eager to snag a seat to watch the action live.
Match Preview
Heading into the new season, there was a massive upheaval at Juventus, with Motta taking over from Massimilano Allegri, whose second tenure in charge of the Old Lady was as inspiring as the football on display.
The Serie A table is still taking shape, but Motta will be pleased with how Juve have started their 2024/2025 campaign.
At the time of writing (13 games into the Serie A season), they are still yet to lose, but he must be irked by how many games they have drawn (W6, D7).
The draws have seen Juve drop to sixth place, even though they are just four points away from the summit. They need to find their rhythm if they want to keep pace with Napoli and Inter Milan.
They have the best defence in the league. Pierre Kalulu, Federico Gatti and Gleison Bremer have all caught the eye this season. They have kept eight clean sheets in their first 13 Serie A games, conceding only seven times.
However, a lack of firepower has slowed the Bianconeri down this term. Dusan Vlahovic continues to be wildly inconsistent, while Arkadiusz Milik is constantly on the treatment table.
Juventus will be pleased to be in eleventh place in the 36-team Champions League table, having accumulated seven points from their first four games as of the time of writing this.
Juve will be disappointed that they could not pick points at home against Stuttgart, losing 1-0 against the Bundesliga outfit.
They bounced back with wins against RB Leipzig and PSV Eindhoven and a solid point away at dangerous LOSC Lille (who beat Real Madrid).
Meanwhile, as of the time of writing, City have failed to win six games in a row (L5, D1). The latest defeat was a 4-0 mullering at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur.
Many key players are sidelined with injuries. Ballon d’Or winner Rodri is out for the rest of the season.
Kevin De Bruyne, Ruben Dias, John Stones, Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish were unavailable at crucial moments.
Man City lost 4-1 to Sporting and drew with Feyenoord and Inter. They are down in 15th place and need a string of positive results.
The 2023 UCL winners know a win over the 36-time Serie A champions will boost their morale. However, Juve are a tough nut to crack for any team.
Head to Head
The first-ever meeting between the pair came in 1976, in the first round of the UEFA Cup. City won 1-0 at Maine Road but lost 2-0 in the old Stadio Comunale to go out on aggregate.
Decades later, they were drawn together in the Europa League, and both games ended in a 1-1 stalemate. Man City finished top of the group, with Juventus inexplicably crashing out after losing second place to Lech Poznan.
Their most recent meeting came in the Champions League in 2015, and the match delivered fireworks as expected.
Mario Mandzukic and Alvaro Morata got on the score sheet to help Juventus claim a 2-1 win. The Old Lady secured a 1-0 victory in Turin in the second leg.
Best XIs
Juventus
Michel Di Gregorio has been immense for the Bianconeri and should get the nod between the sticks, but he will have a makeshift backline in front of him. Juventus are without Juan Cabal and Bremer for the rest of the season.
Academy starlet Nicolo Savona has taken the starting berth from the ageing Danilo and will likely be flanked by the impressive Kalulu and Gatti.
The pair have not let the fans feel the Bremer setback. Andrea Cambiasso has free reins at left-back, with Cabal out of action.
Juventus have one of the better midfield pivots in Europe, with Manuel Locatelli and Khephren Thuram running the show, while the creative and industrious Teun Koopmeiners will be just ahead, looking to find gaps behind the City backline.
Youngster Kenan Yildiz is enjoying a terrific breakout campaign and should continue on the left flank while the versatile Tim Weah takes the right slot.
It is touch and go with Vlahovic who is constantly battling niggling issues, but he should be raring to go for this one.
(4-3-3): Di Gregorio; Savona, Cambiasso, Kalulu, Gatti; Thuram, Locatelli; Yildiz, Koopmeiners, Weah; Vlahovic.
Man City
Ederson is a mainstay as the last line of defence and the first line of attack. The Brazilian will likely be in goal against Juve, but the defence in front of him can take many shapes.
Rico Lewis has been worryingly off-form this season, but with Kyle Walker looking even worse, Guardiola will persist with the young right-back through this rough patch.
Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji have returned from spells on the sidelines and must be wary of Vlahovic. Josko Gvardiol should move to left-back after a torrid time through the centre.
City have been porous since Rodri’s injury, with age telling on the slowing Ilkay Gundogan, who will get the nod against Juve, but he needs legs around him while pulling the strings from deep.
Matheus Nunes and Phil Foden will partner him in the engine room. The England international was City’s best player last term but has struggled so far. The Juve game is another chance to rediscover his best form.
With Guardiola yet to fully trust Jeremy Doku and Savinho, expect Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva to start ahead of their younger counterparts.
Erling Braut Haaland continues to produce the goods, although not as frequently as he did in his first season, but the Norwegian should lead the line. He will be a handful for the Juve backline.
(4-2-3-1): Ederson; Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol, Lewis; Gundogan, Nunes, Foden; Grealish, Haaland, Silva.
Ticket Info
Fans can cheer their favourites live by purchasing tickets from the official channels. You can go through the Juventus or Manchester City official website but expect tickets to be sold at a premium, given that this game is a box office contest.
Those looking to book a spot in the stands at a subsidised rate should look no further than Seatsnet.com, which remains the best ticket marketplace for every Champions League fixture.
How to Watch
Live Champions League football is on TV in the UK via TNT Sports and Amazon Prime Video. Amazon Prime Video have the first pick of matches on Tuesday evenings.
TNT Sports has the right to show every other game from the 2024/25 Champions League, including the 2025 UEFA Champions League final on TV.
