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Atletico Madrid secured vital UEFA Champions League points with a home win against Juventus on Matchday 2.
FINAL SCORE:
Atletico Madrid 1
Juventus 0
The UEFA Champions League continues with another blockbuster as 2013/14 runners up Atletico Madrid meet Italian champions Juventus at the Estadio Vicente Calderon. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 4:30am (AEST).
It has been nearly 50 years since these two teams last met in a competitive fixture – in a competition that would later be replaced by the UEFA Cup, which itself became the Europa League.
The game has changed, and so have the times for both Atletico Madrid and Juventus. The Spanish side has had to watch their city rivals win five more European Cup titles in the last 50 years – the latest being in last season’s decider at Los Colchoneros expense.
It wasn’t all bad news last season, as Atletico broke the 10-year stranglehold of the La Liga crown of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
In 1965, Juventus watched on as Italian rivals AC Milan and Internazionale shared European success in the preceding three seasons.
Since then, La Vecchia Signora established themselves as Italy’s premier club, won two European titles of their own, disgraced themselves in the Calciopoli scandal, and have now restored their mantle as their country’s strongest footballing stronghold.
Despite farewelling a host of their championship-winning players during the summer, Atletico have started the season in assured fashion, having been undefeated so far in six La Liga matches – the latest being a 4-0 thumping of Sevilla.
However, Matchday 1 was a forgettable start to their Champions League campaign, having lost 1-0 at Olympiacos, which makes winning on Thursday all the more crucial.
Manager Diego Simeone is likely to retain the bulk of the team that started against Sevilla.
While the limelight will be on striker Mario Mandzukic in light of Diego Costa’s summer departure, Atletico’s key players will likely be their midfield central duo of Tiago Mendes and Koke in controlling possession and enabling their defenders to press the Juventus players with a high line – atypical of their game plan that secured the La Liga title.
Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri will also look to start most of his side from the weekend’s domestic scene. Having won 2-0 against Malmo in the first game, the Italian side may approach a tricky fixture at the Calderon with a more conservative formation.
With Andrea Pirlo still absent, Allegri will likely continue to employ the French youngster Paul Pogba in defensive midfield to protect the back four and Gianluigi Buffon.
Partnering Pogba will be youth product Claudio Marchisio, who will Juve’s most senior midfielder in Pirlo’s absence.
Up front, Allegri will see little reason to not retain Carlos Tevez following his brace against Atalanta, while Spaniard Alvaro Morata may start on his return to his former youth club.
Expect a highly physical and scrappy encounter, but compelling in how both teams will brush that off to fashion goal-worthy chances.
With no points, Atletico have more to play for than their visitors. But Juventus are yet to concede in competitive play this season, and will set themselves up to earn at least a point.
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