Reporters Stuart Brennan and Rob Pollard are in Turin for Man City's Champions League clash with Juve.
Our reporters Stuart Brennan and Rob Pollard are in Turin, where Manchester City can seal top spot in their Champions League group with victory over Juventus.
City have been shorn of some key personnel with Vincent Kompany, Eliaquim Mangala, Pablo Zabaleta, Wilfried Bony, David Silva and Samir Nasri missing from their travelling party.
Manager Manuel Pellegrini will ring the changes as he and his side look to bounce back from Saturday's chastening home defeat against Liverpool.
More than 1,000 City fans have made the trip and will be keen to see a win following the result against the Anfielders.
Manchester City possible starting XI: Hart; Zabaleta, Otamendi, Mangala, Kolarov; Toure, Fernandinho; Navas, De Bruyne, Sterling; Agüero.
Wilfried Bony will also miss the trip after he limped off at Villa Park before the international hiatus while Samir Nasri is scheduled to return in February after going under the knife to correct a hamstring problem.
David Silva has been sidelined for the majority of the campaign and will miss the trip to Turin though City, should Vincent Kompany remain fit, are doutbless favourites to claim the title.
Generally, though, Pellegrini's side have been in dazzling form this campaign, with Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Sergio Agüero showing promise as a potent attacking trident.
Pellegrini remarked that his focus remains firmly on the task at hand and, despite the Citzens having assured of qualification in Seville, the Chilean will be searching for a response from his players having ceded their grip atop the Premier League table to Leicester City.
City, meanwhile, will be seeking to atone for their ignominous 4-1 defeat to the hands of Liverpool at the weekend.
Juventus possible starting XI: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Barzagli, Alex Sandro; Pogba, Sturaro, Marchisio; Cuadrado; Morata, Dybala.
Patrice Evra, meanwhile, limped off on Saturday and may be replaced in the starting line-up by Alex Sandro.
Granted, the Brazilian has yet to fulfill his promise in Juve colours but with Roberto Pereyra also sidelined, Paul Pogba and Claudio Marchisio will be forced to shoulder greater burden in midfield.
Watch Juventus Man City online
Injuries, though, have beset the Bianconeri throughout the campaign and news that Hernanes, who arrived from Inter on deadline day, will miss up to three weeks of action would have disheartened the Italian.
Allegri described the weekend's victory as a "step in the right direction" a few could disagree. Juve may have been anaemic during stretches but at no point did the Rossoneri look like piercing through Buffon's goal.
Three victories on the spin since they were downed by Sassuolo on a wet Wednesday evening, Dybala has netted in each having struck a thunderbolt past Marco Sportiello against Atalanta before netting the Old Lady's third in their triumph at Empoli.
Champions League Score
Paulo Dybala netted the decisive strike on Saturday evening and it has been the Argentine, a €32 million recruit from Palermo, that has shone brightest for the Bianconeri this season.
Languishing outside the Champions League spots in Serie A, the Old Lady began the campaign sluggishly but have begun to show signs of life after their recent 1-0 victory over bitter-rivals Milan.
The Old Lady, after claiming their fourth successive Scudetti while reaching the final of the Champions League in Allegri's maiden campaign, have struggled to rekindle the defensive parsimony that characterised their previous successes.
Juventus vs Man City Live
Juve found themselves behind to the Foales and it is a theme that has suffused throughout the campaign.
Stephan Lichtsteiner netted that evening in Germany and should line-up at right-back this evening. The Swiss underwent heart surgery last month and such is the indomitable nature of the right-back -- affectionaly known as "Forrest Gump" around the Juve dressing room -- that his performance levels have not markedly plumetted.
Juventus, meanwhile, were held at Borussia Monchengladbach, though it was a result that quietly pleased Juve boss Max Allegri after Hernanes was dismissed for a hare-brained challenge shortly after the interval.
Champions League Live
Manchester City stamped their tickets to the knockout stages of the competition with a comprehensive 3-1 win in Seville last time out.
Manchester City will be without six senior players for Wednesday's Champions League trip to Juventus.
City, who have already qualified for the last 16, are missing defenders Eliaquim Mangala, Pablo Zabaleta and Vincent Kompany, midfielders Samir Nasri and David Silva, and striker Wilfried Bony.
"We have a difficult situation," said manager Manuel Pellegrini.
"It's a test to win in a difficult stadium against a strong team."
City lead Juventus by a point at the top of Group D and will confirm their place as group winners - and with it a seeding in the draw for the last 16 - with victory in Turin.
"Everyone criticised this club about their performances in Europe," said Pellegrini of City, who have never been past the last 16 in the Champions League. "So it's important for us to have achievements and one of those is to qualify for the last 16.
"Finishing top doesn't mean we'll get an easy draw as it depends on a lot of things."
City have won their last three Champions League games, including back-to-back wins over Sevilla, but meet a Juventus team that beat them 2-1 in August on the back of a 4-1 Premier League defeat by Liverpool.
"We need to play in Europe the same way as we did against Sevilla," said Pellegrini.
"We didn't allow Sevilla many chances in our goal, but more than that we played in the same way we as we do a lot of the time in the Premier League - we had good chances to score and a lot of the ball."
Manchester City squad: Hart, Caballero, Sagna, Demichelis, Otamendi, Kolarov, Clichy, Maffeo, Adarabioyo, Toure, Fernando, Fernandinho, Delph, Bryan, Celina, Sterling, De Bruyne, Navas, Glendon, Aguero, Ambrose.
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário