3 key battles which could decide Manchester United's Champions League clash with Juventus

#1 Ronaldo & Dybala vs Smalling & Lindelof

Ronaldo would get another chance to score against his former club.

Smalling and Lindelof were United's best players in the last meeting between the two sides. Especially Lindelof was praised for his interceptions and tackles. Yet, the lack of quality in United's defence is eminent which needs to be addressed in January.

Both the central defenders would be up against the two of the best players in the world - Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala. It would be a massive task to not only contain them but also stop them from scoring. Dybala scored the winner last time out and the rich vein of form he is in, it won't be surprising to see him score again.

Ronaldo looked a bit patchy at Old Trafford, but a player of his calibre could turn up in any game and win it. This battle would be interesting to watch, and if United's defence performs the way they did in the first thirty minutes against Bournemouth at the weekend, the game could be over before it even starts.

About the author

A sports enthusiast and an avid follower of football.

Since childhood I was encouraged to play cricket and in no time it became a hobby. Gradually I found interest in other sports also.

Football is in my blood and I love the electrifying ambiance that surrounds it. I often watch the pre and post match analysis of a match and try to learn how to analyze a football game.

The thing that intrigues me the most is that there are so many things happening behind the scenes that are oblivious to our naked eyes. The technological advancements that has been made are phenomenal.

I like analyzing a game from a statistical point of view. Being a data guy myself , I am firm believer of providing insights through facts and data. Though a game is always unpredictable , analyzing it from different dimensions can provide some very interesting conclusions.

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Edited by Debjyoti Samanta