Juventus will look to maintain their flawless start to the Champions League campaign as they host Stuttgart at the Allianz Stadium on Tuesday night. The Italian giants have won their first two matches in the competition and sit atop their group with six points.
Under new manager Thiago Motta, Juventus have been a model of defensive solidity in Serie A, conceding just one goal in eight league matches. However, their Champions League outings have been more eventful. After a comfortable 3-1 victory over PSV Eindhoven in their opener, Juventus overcame adversity to secure a thrilling 3-2 away win against RB Leipzig on Matchday 2.
In contrast, Stuttgart have had a challenging start to their season. The German side currently sits 10th in the Bundesliga and 25th in the Champions League league phase table with just one point from two matches. Their defensive vulnerabilities were exposed in a recent 4-0 defeat to Bayern Munich.
Juventus will be without goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio, who is suspended after receiving a red card against Leipzig. Mattia Perin is expected to deputize. The hosts are also missing several key players due to injuries, including Gleison Bremer, Nicolas Gonzalez, Teun Koopmeiners, and Weston McKennie.
Stuttgart are similarly affected by injuries, with Chris Fuhrich, Dan-Axel Zagadou, Justin Diehl, Leonidas Stergiou, and Nikolas Nartey all sidelined.
For Juventus, the focus will be on maintaining their defensive stability while capitalizing on their attacking opportunities. Stuttgart will rely heavily on the creativity of Enzo Millot and the goal-scoring prowess of Deniz Undav, who found the net against Real Madrid in their opening match.
As Juventus aims to solidify their position at the top of the group, Stuttgart will be desperate to secure their first win and revive their Champions League campaign. The clash promises to be an intriguing battle between Italian defensive prowess and German attacking flair.
Juventus (4-3-3): Perin; Cambiaso, Gatti, Kalulu, Cabal; Locatelli, Luiz, Fagioli; Conceicao, Vlahovic, Yildiz.
Stuttgart (4-2-3-1): Nubel; Stenzel, Rouault, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Karazor, Stiller; Millot, Undav, Leweling; Demirovic.
