Juventus vs Manchester City

Allianz Stadium forms the backdrop for a mouth-watering UEFA Champions League showdown between Juventus and Manchester City.

Juventus lived up to their tag as ‘stalemate specialists’ last weekend, fighting back from a two-goal deficit to hold fellow Serie A rivals Bologna to a 2-2 home draw. It was their 11th stalemate in 20 competitive matches under new boss Thiago Motta (W8, L1). Topically, they’ve shared the spoils with Lille and Aston Villa in their last two Champions League outings, making it three consecutive European games without a win after a two-game winning start to their league phase campaign (D2, L1). Juventus’ only defeat under Motta arrived in this competition as Stuttgart toppled ‘I Bianconeri’ 1-0 on matchday three, putting them at risk of losing back-to-back Champions League fixtures in Turin for only the second time in the 21st century. Keen to avoid that fate, Juventus can turn to their five-game unbeaten H2H run for inspiration (D2, L3).

Manchester City’s poor record against the record-time Italian champions is the least of Pep Guardiola’s concerns amid the roughest patch in his illustrious managerial career. A 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace significantly derailed Man City’s chances of defending their Premier League crown, marking their eighth winless outing in their last nine (D2, L6). The upcoming trip to Italy doesn’t bode well for the Citizens’ quest to steady the ship, given that they make this journey amid a dreadful six-game winless run on the road (D1, L5). After a 3-3 draw against Feyenoord and a 4-1 loss at Sporting CP, anything other than three points would likely end Man City’s hopes of securing automatic knockout qualification.