Chelsea vs Juventus - 5 key battles to watch | UEFA Champions League 2021-22

Chelsea host Juventus at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday in the Champions League, looking to book their place in the last-16 with a win.

The Blues currently trail their Serie A counterparts by three points, having lost the reverse fixture in September 1-0 in Turin.

Juventus, meanwhile, have maintained a 100% win record in Group H, confirming their place in the next round.

However, the fight for the top spot isn't over yet. The side would be remiss to rest on their laurels here, with one more game still to go after this one.

Chelsea have lost their last two games against Juventus. But they are unbeaten at home, winning and drawing on the Turin side's last two visits to Stamford Bridge.

Ahead of the blockbuster clash, let's look at five key battles that could shape the outcome:

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#5 Jorginho (Chelsea) vs Weston McKennie (Juventus)

Jorginho will be crucial in breaking down Juventus' attacks

Weston McKennie is starting to turn a corner at Juventus following a torrid start to the 2021-22 campaign. But against Chelsea, he faces his toughest examination yet.

That's because the American will have to duel with Jorginho, arguably the best holding midfielder right now.

His all-round vision is superb and makes excellent ball-recoveries. The Italian is also averaging a stunning 3.3 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game in Europe, a testament to his reading of the game.

McKennie's ability to dictate play from the deep will require the utmost attention from Jorginho. He also has to make sure he doesn't roam forward much as the player has a knack for goals too.

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#4 Alvaro Morata (Juventus) vs Thiago Silva (Chelsea)

Morata has scored twice in the Champions League this season

With 20 goals from 44 games in all competitions, Alvaro Morata made a fine return to Juventus last season. He's continued in a similar vein in the current campaign too, contributing six goals from 15 games.

Exactly half of those involvements have come in the Champions League, including two goals in four group matches. He's likely to start over Moise Kean again on Tuesday.

Even more than his output, it's the Spaniard's link-up play between the lines which Thiago Silva will have to be wary of. Letting him have too much space could be detrimental.

Not that the 37-year-old is error-prone. In fact, he's been flawless as ever and will have to muster his A1 game once again to keep Morata in check.

#3 Ben Chilwell (Chelsea) vs Juan Cuadrado (Juventus)

Chilwell is turning into a world-class full-back

While Reece James is having a stormer on the right flank, Ben Chilwell is producing a similar kind of form on the left. He has scored thrice and assisted once this season thus far.

He was on the fringes of the squad at the start. But now Chelsea struggle without him, as Chilwell has turned his situation around in style.

Tuchel's wing-back system is bringing out the best in him too, with the 24-year-old offering great width and an outlet for crosses.

Juan Cuadrado brings something similar to Juventus. While his stats aren't as good as Chilwell's, his energetic sprints from the flanks are valuable in stretching opposition defenses.

The two are likely to come up against each other multiple times while making their trademark runs. It will be interesting to see how this clash pans out.

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#2 Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus) vs Kai Havertz (Chelsea)

Bonucci - the mortar to Juve's brick

One of the best centre-backs of his generation, Leonardo Bonucci continues to go strong even at 34. His experience and big-game expertise are particularly valuable on these big European nights.

Lately, he's also scored a few goals, netting twice from the spot in the 2-0 victory over Lazio on Saturday. Whilst his aerial prowess is well-documented too.

Bonucci's defensive nous will be needed in keeping out Kai Havertz. The German is likely to start as Chelsea's striker in Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner's continued absence.

The German hasn't scored a lot of goals. But his predatory instincts mean even the smallest of openings is enough for him to wreak havoc in the opposition defense.

He's never had any luck against Juventus, firing a blank on all three previous occasions Havertz has faced them. Could he get fourth time lucky?

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#1 Reece James (Chelsea) vs Alex Sandro (Juventus)

James has been unstoppable this season

With four goals and five assists in all competitions this season, Reece James is enjoying the best spell of his career right now.

He's brought a new dimension to Chelsea's attack with his creative brilliance and an eye for goal, something that will be crucial on Tuesday too.

Alex Sandro will have the Herculean task of keeping him in check, while performing his own duties of helping out offensively.

As we've seen many times in the past, with both club and country, the Brazilian is prone to getting caught out of position. He isn't too fast on the recovery either.

Such issues will be severely punished by James, who's been too hot to handle for even the meanest sides this season.