Juventus Predicted XI against FC Porto in the Champions League
Juventus will face FC Porto on Wednesday night in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16, having just lost to Napoli in Serie A this Saturday. They must face Porto on the road without two key starters in Juan Cuadrado and Arthur Melo. So who will start?
Here’s a look at the possible XI for the Bianoconeri in their first match of the Champions League knockout stages this season.
GK Wojciech Szczesny
Wojciech Szczesny is a lock and one of the best goalkeepers in Europe. He’s had a few monster performances this season. Hopefully, Szczesny won’t be called upon much in the first leg.
LB Alex Sandro
Set to face his old team on Wednesday night, Alex Sandro has played reasonably well lately despite not being much of a factor in the attacking end. He is one of the better left backs in European football.
CB Matthijs de Ligt
Matthijs de Ligt is one of the best center backs on this planet, and he first earned his reputation in the Champions League knockout stages of the 2018-2019 season while captaining Ajax. He was unable to add to his reputation last season due to Juve’s poor performance against Lyon, but there is hope for Juventini that this will be de Ligt’s year.
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CB Leonardo Bonucci
Leonardo Bonucci can sometimes be Juve’s worst enemy with his defensive errors, but we see his value at times when he is not playing. He is a good playmaker out of the back with his long passes and is easily Juve’s top ball-playing center back. Bonucci could be the X-Factor on Wednesday night at the Estadio do Dragao.
RB Danilo
With Juan Cuadardo injured, Danilo is a good bet to start on the right-hand side of the defense. He’s been one of Juventus’ best players this season and is playing the best football of his life.
CM Adrien Rabiot
A quality midfielder and robust defensive presence, Adrien Rabiot is one of a few players under the microscope for the Zebras due to his inconsistent performances of late.
CM Rodrigo Bentancur
With Arthur Melo injured, Rodrigo Bentancur is, likewise, under the microscope. He was woeful over the weekend at Napoli, and there may not be a single starter on Juventus with more to prove in this Champions League fixture than the Uruguayan.
LM Federico Chiesa
Federico Chiesa will probably stick to the left-hand side, and he’ll try to cut inside and make something happen as a scorer. The Fiorentina loanee is already a vital player for the Bianconeri, as we saw in the 3-1 win over Milan when he outclassed Theo Hernandez.
RM Weston McKennie
Weston McKennie is fully capable of playing on the right-hand side, but it will be interesting to see if Juve would get enough attacking firepower there with Danilo and McKennie starting.
FW Cristiano Ronaldo
An obvious starter, Cristiano Ronaldo will want to improve his individual effort after a lousy showing at Napoli. The Champions League is usually Ronaldo’s stomping grounds, so there could be magic in the air for the No. 7 in Portugal.
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FW Alvaro Morata
Alvaro Morata was even worse against Napoli, but he is averaging a goal scored per game in the Champions League this season. He’s a great candidate for a bounce-back performance at the Estadio do Dragao.