As Juventus prepare to host Benfica in their final Champions League group stage match, manager Thiago Motta faces a selection headache in the striker position. Recent loan signing Randal Kolo Muani, who made an immediate impact in Serie A against Napoli, is ineligible for European competition during the league phase.
Adding to Motta’s concerns, top scorer Dusan Vlahovic has fallen out of favour due to what the coach describes as “technical issues.” This is despite Vlahovic’s impressive tally of four goals in six Champions League appearances this season. Recent reports in the Italian press suggest that, despite having been benched for three matches, the Serbian striker is expected to return to the starting XI.
On a positive note, Juventus’ attacking options have been bolstered by the return of Kenan Yildiz and Francisco Conceicao from injury. However, the team will still be without Andrea Cambiaso and long-term absentees Arkadiusz Milik, Juan Cabal, and Bremer.
For Benfica, the spotlight will be on Vangelis Pavlidis, who recently achieved the rare feat of scoring a hat-trick in a Champions League loss. The Portuguese side’s attack will also feature Angel Di Maria, their leading scorer this season with 14 goals in 29 games. Di Maria’s brief stint with Juventus two years ago and his previous collaboration with Motta at PSG add an intriguing subplot to the match.
Benfica manager Bruno Lage will have to contend with the absences of injured players Tiago Gouveia and Renato Sanches, while Alvaro Carreras and Arthur Cabral are unavailable due to suspension.
Juventus: Di Gregorio; Savona, Kalulu, Gatti, McKennie; Luiz, Thuram; Yildiz, Koopmeiners, Mbangula; Vlahovic
Benfica:Trubin; Araujo, Otamendi, Silva, Bah; Aursnes, Luis; Di Maria, Kokcu, Schjelderup; Pavlidis
