Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side could have done without this particular fixture at this juncture. Having won the last four Premier League titles, they are on a horrific run of form, with just one win from their last nine matches in all competitions. They face local rivals Manchester United on the weekend, but before that, it’s a clash with Italian heavyweights Juventus.
Advertisement City triumphed in the first meeting between these teams back in 1976, but it’s been a very different story since then. Juventus is unbeaten in the last five encounters. In their last Champions League game, City ended a run of defeats in the most embarrassing fashion by drawing 3-3 despite having a three-goal lead with 15 minutes remaining against Feyenoord.
In a sense, the Champions League is a microcosm of City’s season since they kept a clean sheet in their first three matches in the competition but have shipped seven in the last two, including a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Sporting Lisbon. Like City, Juventus started well in the Champions League this season but have faded somewhat, picking up just two points from their last three European games. City are enduring an injury crisis that is doing little to aid matters, but Phil Foden should return to action in Turin.
Unfortunately for Guardiola, the same cannot be said about Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, Mateo Kovacic or John Stones. And, of course, Oscar Bobb and Rodri are nowhere near returning to the fold. Juventus, on the other han.
