Juventus won’t have to deal with Barcelona’s best defender
Juventus will get a reprieve against Barcelona next week with a star center back set to miss the match due to suspension.
On Tuesday evening, Juventus got their 2020-2021 Champions League campaign off to a winning start by taking down Dynamo Kyiv behind two goals from returning striker Alvaro Morata, signed on loan from Atletico Madrid.
Morata, also a former Real Madrid player, knows a thing or two about facing Barcelona. He’ll have an even easier matchup next Wednesday, Oct. 28 when Juventus take on Barcelona at the Allianz Stadium in the second group stage game.
That’s because Barça center back Gerard Pique has been suspended after picking up a red card in La Blaugrana’s 5-1 win over Ferencvaros. He was red-carded after being bamboozled by an opposing attacker, making an obvious goal-denying foul. Pique tried to argue his case, but he had no case. And Ferencvaros dispatched the penalty for their lone goal of the evening.
Pique has completed 92 percent of his passes this season, per WhoScored.com, and is an important player for Barcelona. He is their leader at the heart of the defense and is still an effective center back in big games.
His absence is a boost for Juve’s front three, which could include Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala in the starting XI for the first time this season. Ronaldo has tested positive for COVID-19 after the international break, but Dybala made his return from injury as a substitute in the win over Kyiv.
Juventus are much deeper this season, as they also have Dejan Kulusevski and Federico Chiesa capable of playing at the wide forwards. And Morata, who now owns three goals in the last two games, looks like a major upgrade on Gonzalo Higuain.
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So without Pique, Barcelona must be very careful against the Bianconeri next Wednesday. Juve could cause them major headaches with their improved attack.