Barcelona are in Italy on Tuesday night for the first leg of their mouthwatering Champions League quarter-final clash with Juventus.
The Blaugrana made it through to the last eight in incredible style, seeing off Paris Saint-Germain despite a 4-0 deficit at the halfway point, but face a more experienced foe this time around.
They will be looking to get out of Turin unscathed before the return leg at Camp Nou next week.
Game Juventus vs Barcelona
Date Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Time 19:45 GMT, 14:45 ET
In the UK, the match will be available to watch live on television on BT Sport 2 and by stream via the BT Sport app.
UK TV channel Online stream
BT Sport 2 BT Sport app
In the US, the match will be available to watch live on television in English on FS1 and in Spanish on Fox Deportes. It can also be streamed via Fox Soccer 2Go.
US TV channel Online stream
FS1 / Fox Deportes Fox Soccer 2Go
SQUADS & TEAM NEWS
Position Juventus players
Goalkeepers Buffon, Neto, Audero
Defenders Chiellini, Benatia, Alex Sandro, Mattiello, Barzagli, Bonucci, Dani Alves, Rugani, Lichtsteiner
Midfielders Pjanic, Khedira, Cuadrado, Marchisio, Lemina, Asamoah, Sturaro, Rincon
Forwards Higuain, Mandzukic, Dybala
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri is missing only Marko Pjaca to injury and has selection decisions to make at right-back and in central midfield.
Dani Alves played only five minutes off the bench against Chievo at the weekend, which may mean he is in line to start over Stephan Lichtsteiner here. Claudio Marchisio and Miralem Pjanic, meanwhile, will battle it out to start with Sami Khedira in central midfield.
Potential starting XI: Buffon; Dani Alves, Bonucci, Chiellini, Alex Sandro; Khedira, Pjanic; Cuadrado, Dybala, Mandzukic; Higuain.
Position Barcelona players
Goalkeepers Ter Stegen, Cillessen, Masip
Defenders Pique, Mascherano, Alba, Digne, Sergi Roberto, Umtiti, Mathieu
Midfielders Rakitic, Denis Suarez, Iniesta, Gomes, Alena, Carbonell
Forwards Luis Suarez, Messi, Neymar, Alcacer
Barcelona coach Luis Enrique’s big problem is the absence of Sergio Busquets due to suspension. The midfielder has travelled, as have the injured Aleix Vidal and Arda Turan, despite being unavailable to play.
There are two solutions; the most obvious is to use Andre Gomes, who has been deployed in the holding role before, as a direct replacement. The other is to bring Jeremy Mathieu into defence and push Javier Mascherano forward, where he could fill in for Busquets and keep track of Paulo Dybala.
Potential starting XI: Ter Stegen; Mascherano, Pique, Umtiti; Gomes; Sergi Roberto, Rakitic, Iniesta, Neymar; Messi, Suarez.
We saw two very different sides of the Blaugrana in the last round against Paris Saint-Germain, and there is no way they will be able to get away with such a poor away showing this time against a much more experienced, disciplined Juventus team.
Luis Enrique’s side have looked like a different proposition, however, since switching to a three-man defence. They had won eight and lost one after the 4-0 loss in Paris until this weekend, when they suffered a second defeat – after returning to a 4-3-3 – at Malaga.
The absence of Sergio Busquets complicates things, however, and Juventus will hope to pounce on any tactical uncertainty. The Bianconeri did an efficient job of dispatching of Porto, shutting the Portuguese side out in a 3-0 aggregate win.
They, too, have adopted a new shape of late, with Mario Mandzukic becoming a converted left winger in a 4-2-3-1.
As is the case with Lionel Messi in Barca’s system, the formational switch has given Paulo Dybala license to roam as a natural No.10 rather than starting out wide or as the highest forward.
The two Argentines could be spectacular to watch on Tuesday night.
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