Juventus host ailing Manchester City in Turin
Two teams struggling to meet expectations will convene in Turin on Wednesday evening, when Juventus host an ailing Manchester City in the Champions League.
Almost side by side in the league-phase standings, Juve have regularly failed to turn one point into three this season, while City are enduring a crisis of confidence.
Following their 4-1 loss to Sporting CP in Lisbon, City continued a downward trend stretching back several weeks, and the reigning Premier League champions are enduring by far their worst run of form since Pep Guardiola took charge.
Not only have City shipped seven goals in their last two European games – having kept a clean sheet in all of their first three this term – but taking just one point from those outings has left them with eight on the board, only good enough for a playoff place as things stand.
Facing another domestic defeat at the weekend, City twice came from behind to salvage a 2-2 draw away with Premier League strugglers Crystal Palace, as Rico Lewis levelled matters for a second time at Selhurst Park before getting himself sent off.
The Citizens therefore head to Italy having won just one of their last nine games across all competitions, and they will aim to avoid setting an unwanted club record on Wednesday night.
Like City, though, Juve are occupying an insecure place in this season’s Champions League standings, having won both of their first two games before picking up just a couple of points from the next three.
Although they certainly know how to keep a clean sheet, Juventus are a work in progress during the first phase of Thiago Motta’s reign, so Manchester City should claim at least one point.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Fourth-placed Dortmund welcome third-placed Barcelona
The highest-ranked meeting of matchday six in the Champions League sees fourth-placed Borussia Dortmund welcome third-placed Barcelona to the Westfalenstadion on Wednesday.
Both clubs are on 12 points from their opening five games, and are highly fancied to progress directly to the last 16, via finishing in the top eight.
After a routine 3-0 win away in Croatia against Dinamo Zagreb on matchday five to extend their brilliant start in Europe, Dortmund have not won since.
Back-to-back 1-1 draws in the Bundesliga against Bayern Munich and Borussia Monchengladbach leave Dortmund sixth in the Bundesliga, lagging behind in the race for the Champions League places.
In general, BVB have been very impressive in the Champions League, and they now have the opportunity to win five of their first six matches in the competition since 1997, when they were reigning champions.
Dortmund are winless in their four previous meetings with Barcelona; they have never faced an opponent more times in European competition without tasting victory.
While this represents Dortmund’s hardest fixture on paper out of their final three, Barcelona face more tough assignments in January, hosting Atalanta and travelling to Benfica, with only one of their five games so far coming against a side who were seeded in the top two pots.
Flick won all five of his meetings with Dortmund as Bayern manager, but could find it a little tougher here, given BVB’s supreme form at home, and the fragility that has crept into Barca’s performances of late.
Dortmund may have crumbled away to Real Madrid on matchday three, but they have been excellent at the Westfalenstadion, and should be very competitive in what could be the game of the round.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Arsenal, Monaco scrap for Champions League supremacy
Forever linked by the legendary Arsene Wenger and Thierry Henry, Arsenal and Monaco scrap for Champions League supremacy in Wednesday’s league phase contest at the Emirates Stadium.
Only one spot separates the two titans in the 36-team UCL table, as they each cling on to one of the final two automatic qualification places for the last-16 stage after five matches.
With the Ruben Amorim glue no longer holding the Green and Whites together, the Primeira Liga powerhouses were slaughtered by Mikel Arteta‘s troops last time out in Europe, as the Gunners propelled themselves into the coveted top eight spots with a 5-1 pummelling of Sporting.
Formerly struggling for shut-outs at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal have now managed four clean sheets in their last six matches in front of the North London crowd, and they are yet to suffer a home loss in any tournament this term, winning seven of their last eight at their headquarters.
Sharing Arsenal’s 10-point total from five Champions League outings so far this season, only a marginally inferior goal difference is keeping Monaco below the Gunners as Adi Hutter‘s men seek to right some wrongs from their most recent continental showdown.
While Premier League teams know what to expect from Arsenal’s open-play sequences and can effectively double up on the likes of Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, European teams do not always do the same, so the Gunners should expect some more joy on the flanks in particular.
As the hosts remain as potent as ever from dead-ball situations too, they have our vote to strengthen their bid for a last-16 place against a Monaco side ruing defensive suspensions.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
AC Milan host Red Star Belgrade
Seeking a fourth Champions League win on the spin, resurgent AC Milan will host Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday evening.
The Serbian champions return to San Siro – having been beaten 4-0 by Inter Milan earlier this season – following a long-awaited victory last time out.
Though Milan lost their first two league-phase matches – to the champions of Germany and the current Premier League leaders – they have since won each of the last three while freely finding the net.
Undefeated in six meetings with fellow European Cup winners Red Star to date, Milan may expect to continue in that vein on Wednesday and take one step closer to the knockout phase.
After some teething troubles following Paulo Fonseca’s appointment – and some fans are still not convinced – Milan have kept a clean sheet in five of their first seven home Serie A games for the first time since 2002.
Red Star’s record on the road around Europe is abysmal, and they could experience the familiar taste of Champions League defeat.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
FIXTURES
Atlético Madrid 17:45 Slovan Bratislava
AC Milan 20:00 Red Star Belgrade
Borussia Dortmund 20:00 Barcelona
