Juventus are one of the strongest teams in the Champions League, and the Italian club have it in them to defeat any side in the competition. They are slotted in Group H , which includes some quality teams like Sevilla, Lyon and Dinamo Zagreb.
The Italian giants will face Spanish opposition in the form of Sevilla, who qualified for the Champions league after defeating Liverpool to win the Europa league, on Wednesday. The two teams were in the same group last year as well, where both won one match each in their two head-to-head clashes.
But that was last season, and this season starts afresh for both teams. Juventus might have sold one of their mega stars — Paul Pogba — in the summer transfer window, but the club were smart in signing one of the best strikers in world football, Gonzalo Higuain, who has already built a good relationship with midfielder Paulo Dybala. Sevilla also signed key players like Luciano Vietto.
Juventus have started the Serie A in a grand manner, winning all their matches, but they are aware of the tough Sevilla side, who play some solid football. With the strong home support for the Italians, Juve will be a strong force in their opening match of the Champions League.
Juventus are favourites to reach the finals of the Champions League, but there is a serious need to start well, and move into the business end with some confident wins. Manager Massimilliano Allegri is aware of the threat Sevilla brings to the table.
"Sevilla have changed a lot compared with last season. They attack more now. They are very brave and score plenty of goals. And they have a lot of experience in Europe, having won the UEFA Europa League three times in a row. We will have to play with balance and patience, knowing that our objective is to earn three points and start the group stage well. The first game is the most important," UEFA's official website quoted the manager as saying.
Sevilla also comes into this fixture with an impressive record in the La Liga, where they are still undefeated. They won their last match against Las Palmas, with the score reading 2-1. But they need to take their game a notch higher when they face the giants of Europe, Juventus, who have the players to kill the game early.
Sevilla will depend on Vietto for goals, while their defenders, including Adil Rami and Nicolas Pareja, have to stand firm against Juventus. Manager Jorge Sampoli knows about the big names on paper for Juventus, but he is confident of a positive performance from his team.
"We know we are facing one of the favourites to win the competition so we will have to give everything – we must work hard and sweat for the shirt. I would like to see my team play at the same level as Juve. On paper there are differences [between the sides] but I'm sure my team will take to the pitch to win and show that the gap to the top clubs is small," Sampoli said.
What makes this tie even more interesting is the desire of both teams to prove themselves after their failure in the Champions League last season. Sevilla were knocked out in the group stages while Juventus were shown the exit doors by Bayern Munich in the round of 16.
Where to watch live
Juventus vs Sevilla Champions League match is scheduled for 8.45 pm CET (12.15 am IST, 7.45 pm BST, 2.45 pm ET) start. Live streaming and TV options can be found below.
India: TV: Ten 2. Live Streaming: Tensports live.
US: TV: ESPN 3 USA, ESPN 2 USA. Live Streaming: Watch ESPN, Fox Soccer 2 Go.
UK: Tv: BT Sport Extra.
Italy: TV: PremiumSport HD
Canada: TV: TSN4, RDS 2
Middle East: TV: Bein Sports Arabia. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
