Juventus: Cristiano Ronaldo and 5 key players to watch at Barcelona

Juventus fell 2-0 to Barcelona earlier in the Champions League, but with Cristiano Ronaldo back, they should like their chances.

Whereas Barcelona failed to get a result against Cadiz over the weekend, Juventus completed a furious late comeback, buoyed by two Juan Cuadrado assists, to beat rivals Torino 2-1 in the Derby Della Mole.

On Tuesday night, Juventus will travel to the Camp Nou, seeking revenge on a Barcelona side that took them down 2-0 in their first group stage match of the Champions League.

With the group on the line, here are five players on the Bianconeri to watch closely in the final group stage game of the 2020-2021 Champions League campaign.

FW Cristiano Ronaldo

It all starts with Cristiano Ronaldo, who was surprisingly quiet in the win over Torino. We haven’t seen Ronaldo at his best in a couple of games, actually, which means we should be ripe to see the single greatest player in the history of the Champions League dominate on Tuesday.

Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi is an attraction match that tends to bring out the best in both superstars, and Ronaldo will be itching to prove a point after missing the initial fixture against Barcelona due to a positive COVID-19 test.

If Ronaldo doesn’t score at the Camp Nou, I will be shocked. It feels like we are on the brink of a “statement game” from the Portuguese superstar.

CM Arthur Melo

Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi is the headline-maker for this Champions League fixture, but how about Arthur Melo vs. Miralem Pjanic?

Arthur has become an important player to Juventus. He has all the tools to be a superstar in the Juve midfield for years to come, but as we saw against Ferencvaros, he still has a way’s to go before he can embody what is needed in Turin.

The former Barcelona man would love to get revenge on his former team. Arthur must be smart and decisive with his passing. His movement off the ball needs to get better, too. It has been frustrating watching Arthur get in the way of his teammates, especially a veteran leader and orchestrator of goals like Juan Cuadrado. Arthur must learn he is here to support his teammates and not transcend them just yet.

LB Alex Sandro

Alex Sandro made the difference against Dynamo Kyiv in last week’s Champions League victory, but he will have a much more difficult assignment defensively as the starting left back for Juventus against the likes of Lionel Messi on the right and Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho supporting him.

Messi loves cutting inside and dictating play, so Alex Sandro must be there to help Leonardo Bonucci. Sandro must also worry about Barcelona right back Sergino Dest, who isn’t far away from establishing himself as one of the world’s best.

GK Wojciech Szczesny

Wojciech Szczesny is one of the world’s top goalkeepers, and he’s been coming up big recently. But he’s also been lucky to avoid a few howlers. So Szczesny has to deliver a consistent, competent 90 minutes at the Camp Nou.

Szczesny will undoubtedly be called into action multiple times against a goal-hungry Lionel Messi and his teammates. Just as this match is a chance for Arthur and Ronaldo to show their talents, Szczesny can likewise make a statement about his status as one of the top goalkeepers in the Champions League.

FW Alvaro Morata

We start with Cristiano Ronaldo and close with Alvaro Morata, who was his teammate in the Champions League at Real Madrid. Morata was great in the competition during his first stint in Turin, but he has transcended those displays in 2020-2021. The Atletico Madrid loanee is playing the best football of his life with nine goals and four assists in all competitions.

Ronaldo cannot do it alone against Barcelona. Morata will be his right-hand man at the Camp Nou and might honestly just as likely to contribute to goals as the superstar player next to him. The Spanish striker has improved his hold-up play and chance-creation, and we all know how he likes to live life on the edge, speaking in terms of offsides.