Last year’s finalists Juventus host defending champions Real Madrid in a blockbuster UEFA Champions League quarter-final at the Juventus Stadium in Turin and the lineups for Tuesday’s clash have been revealed.
Juventus XI: Buffon; De Sciglio, Barzagli, Chiellini, Asamoah; Khedira, Bentancur; Douglas Costa, Dybala, Alex Sandro; Higuain
Bench: Szczesny, Rugani, Lichtsteiner, Matuidi, Marchisio, Cuadrado, Mandzukic#TOGETHER #UCL #JuveRM
— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) April 3, 2018
Gianluigi Buffon leads the hosts from the back, unsurprisingly, with a back-four of Mattia De Sciglio, Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chellini and Kwadwo Asamoah in front of him.
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Sami Khedira has the relatively-untested Rodrigo Bentacur alongside him in central midfield while Douglas Costa, Paulo Dybala and Alex Sandro giving Gonzalo Higuain company in attack.
📝 Madridistas! This is our starting XI for tonight’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against @juventusfcen! ¡VAMOS!#APorLa13 | #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/KtjAoyupYM
— Real Madrid C.F.🇺🇸🇬🇧 (@realmadriden) April 3, 2018
It looks like Zinedine Zidane is sending out his side in a 4-4-2 formation against his former employers, with Karim Benzema leading the line alongside talisman Cristiano Ronaldo.
In-form midfielder Isco is expected to line up behind the attacking duo while the Los Blancos have the familiar trio of Luka Modric, Casemiro and Toni Kroos in midfield.
Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane and Dani Carvajal complete the four-man defence ahead of custodian Keylor Navas.
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After getting humbled by Real in the 2017 final, the Bianconeri will be out for revenge but that’s easier said than done for the Spanish giants’ sole hopes of silverware this season lie in Europe.
Real seem to have an the X-factor in the Champions League, but the Italian side, who are chasing a treble, will take heart from the fact that they haven’t lost to the capital outfit over the course of a double-legged tie.
Juventus: Buffon (c), De Sciglio, Barzagli, Chiellini, Asamoah, Khedira, Bentancur; Douglas Costa, Dybala, Alex Sandro and Higuain.
Real Madrid: Navas, Carvajal, Ramos (c), Varane, Ronaldo, Kroos, Benzema, Modric, Casemiro and Isco.
Match kicks off at 20.45 GMT/00.15 IST.