Juventus will need to be at their very best if they are to overturn a 2-0 Champions League last-16 deficit against Atletico Madrid when they host them in Turin on Wednesday.
Goals in the last 12 minutes of the Spanish leg of the tie from Jose Gimenez and Diego Godin have provided Diego Simeone’s men with a healthy platform ahead of their trip to Italy.
With Juve having the Serie A title effectively wrapped up with 11 rounds remaining, they will channel all of their energy towards creating a comeback in this tie, although against one of Europe’s most renowned defensive units, it promises to be a massive challenge.
| Game | Juventus vs Atletico Madrid |
| Date | Tuesday, March 12 |
| Time | 8:00pm GMT / 4:00pm ET |
| Stream (US only) | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial).
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| TNT USA / Univision NOW / UniMas | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be shown on BT Sport 3 and streamed on the BT Sport Live app.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| BT Sport 3 | BT Sport Live |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Juventus players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Szczesny, Pinsoglio, Perin |
| Defenders | Chiellini, Caceres, Bonucci, Cancelo, Rugani, Spinazzola |
| Midfielders | Pjanic, Matuidi, Can, Bentancur, Caviglia |
| Forwards | Ronaldo, Dybala, Mandzukic, Kean, Bernardeschi |
Alex Sandro is suspended for this encounter, while there are a string of fitness problems that see Mattia De Sciglio, Juan Cuadrado, Sami Khedira and Douglas Costa miss out.
Miralem Pjanic and Joao Cancelo, who were serving domestic bans at the weekend, are set to return to the squad.
Juventus starting XI: Szczesny; Cancelo, Bonucci, Chiellini, Spinazzola; Can, Pjanic, Matuidi; Bernardeschi, Mandzukic, Ronaldo
| Position | Atletico Madrid players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Oblak, Adan, Alex |
| Defenders | Godin, Arias, Savic, Juanfran, Gimenez, Montero |
| Midfielders | Koke, Saul, Lemar, Rodrigo, Vitolo, Carro, Joaquin |
| Forwards | Griezmann, Morata, Kalinic, Correa |
Atletico Madrid have a handful of issues in their famed defence, with Lucas Hernandez missing out again along with Filipe Luis. Additionally, Diego Godin has been struggling with a muscular issue and could be depleted, even if he does come off the bench.
Elsewhere, Thomas Partey and Diego Costa both have bans to serve.
Former Juve goal-scoring hero Alvaro Morata is set to start in attack.
Atletico Madrid starting XI: Oblak; Arias, Gimenez, Godin, Juanfran; Koke, Niguez, Rodri, Lemar; Griezmann, Morata
Betting & Match Odds
Juventus are 3/4 favourites with Bet365. Atletico Madrid are priced at 9/2 outsiders to secure another victory, while a draw can be backed at 27/10.
Match Preview
Juventus’ summer signing of Cristiano Ronaldo was a sign of their intent to go all the way in the Champions League. The Turin side have utterly mastered Serie A over the course of the last decade and are cruising towards an eighth successive title, underlined by their recent 2-1 win over Napoli.
It seems, however, that even the addition of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner will not be enough to lead them to success on the continent as it will take a monumental comeback if they are to overcome an Atletico Madrid side that defeated them 2-0 last month.
After Ajax and Manchester United achieved such miracles last week, Massimiliano Allegri has not lost hope.
“If we were to call this the biggest match of the season, we’d be in real trouble,” he defiantly told the media on Monday.
“If we do go through, it’s not as if we’ve won the Champions League, as there are other games. We need calm and to take it one game at a time.
“If we manage to overturn the first leg result, it will be extraordinary. After that we either think about the quarter-finals or ending the season on the right note.”
The scale of Juventus’ task is highlighted by Atleti’s recent defensive record. Since losing 3-1 against Real Madrid on February 9, they have responded by winning five successive matches – and not conceding a single goal.
Their latest success came against Leganes on Saturday, when a single strike from Saul Niguez was sufficient to account for their visitors.
Simeone has drilled his side into becoming one of Europe’s most consistent since he took charge in 2011 and that is reflected in the fact that they lie second in La Liga, a distant seven points back from leaders Barcelona, but with a massive 15-point cushion over fifth-placed Alaves.
Mentally, his teams have been formidable and before the midweek game he has urged his side to retain absolute focus on the 90 minutes ahead of them.
“I think whenever it’s a knockout round like this between two such important clubs, both treat it like two halves of one match,” the Argentine said.
“The first leg is one moment, the second leg is another. Everyone tries to prepare and organise, but football is about details that cannot be explained or predicted and that’s what makes this sport fantastic. We can talk about it as much as we like, but it won’t make much difference.
“As I said, these are two strong teams, one will go through and the other won’t. It’s hard to talk about there being favourites.”
While Atleti have selection headaches, Simeone is sure to send out a team that is well drilled and utterly redoubtable. If Juventus can overcome this test, they can overcome anything.