Manchester United will hit the road following their last-gasp win over Bournemouth the last time out, but the opponent will be extremely tougher this time since they will take on Juventus. The reigning Serie A champions currently top the Group H standings with nine points after three games, and they know a win would give them the top spot in the zone. But Manchester United want to avoid that.
With four points after the first three games, United need to steal at least one point from the Allianz Stadium. Otherwise, they might be at risk of falling to third place depending on what Valencia and BSC Young Boys do in their respective match. But that’s something The Red Devils want to avoid, especially knowing there are only two games left in the schedule following this one.
Read on to find out everything you need to know prior to Wednesday’s contest:
Team News
Manchester United have improved their fitness dramatically over the past few days, and Jose Mourinho has almost the entire squad available at his disposal. However, there haven’t been many changes compared to the side that played against Bournemouth. Marouane Fellaini, Diogo Dalot and Antonio Valencia remain out, as well as Marcos Rojo. Romelu Lukaku will be a game-time decision, but right now it seems unlikely that he will feature here.
Meanwhile, Juventus didn’t have Sami Khedira and Federico Bernardeschi this past week, and both are expected to miss this match as well. Leonardo Spinazzola will probably be out as well, since he is lacking match fitness after recovering from a long-term injury.
Form guide
Manchester United’s inconsistencies are not a secret. However, there might be positive signs from the recent matches since they have won their most recent two Premier League matches against Everton and Bournemouth. Unfortunately, those inconsistencies have not escaped the team’s European campaign. Through the first three Champions League matches, United have delivered a W1, D1, L1 mark with four points. They currently sit in second place of Group H.
On the other hand, Juventus have been destroying their competition one week at a time. The Bianconeri side own a six-point lead in the Serie A over Napoli, and also lead Group H with nine points after three matches. A draw would be enough to see them through the next round, while a win would secure them the top spot with two games left in the schedule.
What is our all-time record against Bournemouth?
We have played the Bianconeri nine times in the UEFA Champions League: 1996/97, 1997/98, 1998/99, 2002/03 and 2018/19. Both sides have won four times, and the remaining fixture ended in a draw. When it comes to goals scored over that span, The Reds have scored 12 and the Italians, 10.
The most recent outing came last month, and Juventus earned a 1-0 win at Old Trafford thanks to a first-half goal from Paulo Dybala.
Prediction
Undoubtedly, this is going to be a tough game for Manchester United. Especially if we consider Juventus are probably one of the best teams in Europe at the moment. But United’s recent rise on form will be on evidence here. I expect them to steal, at least, one point away from this game.
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