Australian football fans are expected to come out in droves to watch one of the best clubs in Europe in action as Juventus play the first match of their International Champions Cup schedule, against the Melbourne Victory, at the MCG on Saturday. The Italian champions have already made news with big-name signings – and possible exits -- and some of them will be on show at one of sports' most iconic grounds.
Massimiliano Allegri has had a busy summer already, bringing in plenty of fresh faces in Miralem Pjanic, Mehdi Benatia, Dani Alves and Marko Pjaca, and while most of the Juventus transfer news has centred on Paul Pogba's possible departure to Manchester United, the manager will be a confident man heading into the new season, with or without their star midfielder.
To get off to a strong start in the new season, though, a solid preseason is necessary, and having travelled thousands of miles to Australia, Juventus, who will also play English Premier League side Tottenham at the MCG, will be keen to make the most of the occasion, from a marketing and playing point of view, starting with the match International Champions Cup against Melbourne Victory.
"We've worked very well here so far thanks to both the cooler temperatures and the infrastructure put in place for us," Allegri told reporters in Melbourne. "The match against Melbourne Victory will be very useful for us as far as fitness is concerned.
"Our other priority of course is to ensure that we don't pick up any injuries. Victory have won three titles and so we will need to approach the game in the correct manner. There will be opportunities for a lot of the boys to get some game time, even some of the younger lads."
While the likes of Pogba and Patrice Evra are not on this tour, owing to their exertions in Euro 2016, one player who will grab plenty of attention is Pjanic, who made a high-profile move from Roma at the end of last season. Pjanic will want to begin life as a Juventus player in style.
"The only thing that matters at Juventus is winning," Pjanic said. "After five fantastic years in Rome, I decided that now was the time to make a change.
"This summer was the perfect opportunity to do so. Juve have huge ambitions for the coming season. I was aware of the club's eagerness to bring me here and now I can't wait to get the ball rolling with my new teammates."
Where to Watch Live
Melbourne Victory vs Juventus is scheduled for a 7 p.m. local time (2.30 p.m. IST, 11 a.m. CET, 10 a.m. BST, 5 a.m. ET) start. Below are the live streaming and TV information.
India: TV: Sony ESPN/HD. Live Streaming: Sonyliv.
Australia: TV: Channel 9. Live Streaming: 9now.
Italy: TV: Premium Sport 2.
UK: TV: Sky Sports 1/HD. Live streaming: Sky Go.
USA: TV: ESPN 2 and ESPN Deportes. Live Streaming: Watch ESPN.
China: TV: Guangdong Sports and LeTV.
Singapore: TV: Starhub.
