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The teams take to the pitch at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. You know the drill by now. One by one, like a less pumped version of The Price Is Right. Not long until kick-off, so come on down!
Pep Guardiola talks to DAZN. “Rodri will not be for 90 minutes but one day he had to start … everybody has to play … I prefer Erling for the second half to be fresh … for the movement … fresh energy for the game … we have qualified, that is the first step … we play every game to try to win.”
Is he worried which side of the draw City end up in? “No … when you play in the last 16 you will play the best teams … when we won the Champions League we played the toughest opponents.”
Manchester City have only beaten Juventus once in seven previous meetings. That victory came in the first round of the Uefa Cup in September 1976, Brian Kidd scoring the only goal of the first leg at Maine Road. Much good it did the Citizens, who lost the return leg in Turin 2-0, Gaetano Scirea and Roberto Boninsegna with the goals at the Stadio Comunale. Names that evoke some proper old-school Italian glamour, right there. Since then, it’s been slim pickings for City, with two draws and four defeats against the Bianconeri. The latest of those losses came just seven months ago, during City’s downright strange mid-season misfire. An opportunity for City to right some historical wrongs tonight.
The big news for City: Rodri starts a match for the first time since succumbing to injury against Arsenal last autumn. Or is this the big news: Erling Haaland is back on the bench. Take your pick.
Juventus have also made surprising changes up front. Kenan Yıldız, who already has three goals to his name in this tournament, and two-goal Francisco Conceição both drop to the bench. Dušan Vlahović is not a bad replacement, to be fair.
The teams
Juventus: Di Gregorio, Kelly, Savona, Kalulu Kyatengwa, Alberto Costa, Kostic, McKennie, Locatelli, Vlahovic, Gonzalez, Koopmeiners.
Subs: Pinsoglio, Garofani, Daffara, Rugani, Bremer, Cambiaso, Gatti, Rouhi, Douglas Luiz, Thuram, Adzic, Milik, Muani, Francisco Conceicao, Yildiz.
Manchester City: Ederson, Matheus Luiz, Ait Nouri, Akanji, Dias, Rodri, Savio, Silva, Reijnders, Doku, Marmoush.
Subs: Bettinelli, Ortega, Stones, Ake, Gvardiol, Khusanov, Vitor Reis, Gundogan, Foden, Cherki, Bobb, Gonzalez, Haaland.
Preamble
Manchester City have to beat Juventus tonight if they’re to win Group G. But what the reward for that will be is anyone’s guess. We know they’d play the runners-up in Group H, but given the manner in which Real Madrid have so far underwhelmed, and Al Hilal have impressed, there are no certain outcomes there, and that’s before we bring Red Bull Salzburg into the equation. So with the winners of Group H awaiting the Group G runners-up, and any combination of 1-2-3 possible in Group H later tonight, it’s a toss of a coin as things stand. City and Juve might as well treat this as a dry run for the knockouts, and what will be, will be. Kick-off in Orlando, Florida is at 8pm UK time, 3pm local. It’s on!
1. Juventus P2 W2 D0 L0 F9 A1 Pts 6
2. Manchester City P2 W2 D0 L0 F8 A0 Pts 6
