Juventus vs Barcelona - 5 key battles to look out for| Champions League 2020-21

Juventus host Barcelona on Wednesday although Cristiano Ronaldo might not play.
Juventus host Barcelona on Wednesday although Cristiano Ronaldo might not play.

It's the clash of the titans on Wednesday as Juventus welcomeBarcelona to the Allianz Stadium for an enticing clash in the 2020-21 Champions League.

Both teams have faced each other several times in the past, including in the competition's 2015 final, but this will be their first meeting since the 2017-18 season when they were also drawn in the same group.

Fans are particularly excited about this fixture because of the reunion of arch-rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. However, the Portuguese star remains doubtful for the game as he tested positive for COVID-19. Nevertheless, there are plenty of other interesting player battles on offer.

On that note, here are the top five you should be keeping an eye on:

#5 Alvaro Morata (Juventus) vs Clement Lenglet (Barcelona)

Alvaro Morata got the better of Clement Lenglet in the pair's last meeting in a Cup game.
Alvaro Morata got the better of Clement Lenglet in the pair's last meeting in a Cup game.

Alvaro Morata's second stint with the Bianconeri has got off to a flyer. The player has netted thrice in four games, including a brace against Dynamo Kyiv in Juventus' Champions League opener last week.

Signed on a season-long loan from Atletico Madrid, the Spaniard will hope to keep his good run going on Wednesday against a very familiar rival.

He has faced Barcelona on multiple occasions during his career and has managed to score twice against them - the 2015 Champions League final (for Juventus) and a Spanish Super Cup game this year (for Atletico Madrid).

With the mighty Catalans currently on a decline, Morata would fancy his chances of scoring against them again, which means that Clement Lenglet will have to be on his toes.

The task of organising the defence will rest primarily on the Frenchman's shoulders since Gerard Pique is suspended. Clement Lenglet will have to muster all his defensive nous to shut out the 28-year old.


#4 Federico Chiesa (Juventus) vs Sergino Dest (Barcelona)

Sergino Dest looked at home in the Clasico, despite playing out of his natural position.
Sergino Dest looked at home in the Clasico, despite playing out of his natural position.

America's promising young gun Sergino Dest will be pumped up for the clash against Juventus after his resounding performance in the Clasico at the weekend.

A left-back by trade, he's been deployed on the right by Ronald Koeman to cement Barcelona's void in that position. The 19-year old came up trumps against Real Madrid, keeping Vinicius Junior in check with vital interceptions and tackles.

He'll have to replicate those heroics again on Wednesday to nullify Federico Chiesa, who only made his Juventus debut last week. Chiesa is excellent on the ball and can pick out teammates with wonderful, pinpoint crosses inside the area while also creating goalscoring opportunities aplenty.

#3 Aaron Ramsey (Juventus) vs Miralem Pjanic (Barcelona)

Miralem Pjanic could have a baptism of fire on his Juventus return.
Miralem Pjanic could have a baptism of fire on his Juventus return.

Miralem Pjanic returns to the Allianz Stadium for the first time since leaving Juventus in August, but there will be no love lost on his welcome to Turin.

The Bosnian is still just adjusting to life with Barcelona, and Wednesday's clash will show how successful he's been so far when he duels with his former teammate Aaron Ramsey.

The Welshman is growing in confidence at Juventus. He has made his presence felt at both ends of the pitch, driving the ball forward to feed his attackers while also dropping back to provide an extra cover in defence when the Biaconeri are pushed on the backfoot.

With Ramsey playing right behind striker Alvaro Morata against Dynamo Kyiv, the former Arsenal man could don a similar role from the start if Cristiano Ronaldo is not deemed fit to play. If that happens, Ramsey would look to break through the lines and play defence-splitting passes for his Spanish colleague up front.

Pjanic could have a real task at hand against Ramsey when Barcelona face Juventus in Turin.


#2 Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus) vs Ansu Fati (Barcelona)

Ansu Fati might be young and relatively inexperienced, but Leonardo Bonucci knows that the former is no pushover.
Ansu Fati might be young and relatively inexperienced, but Leonardo Bonucci knows that the former is no pushover.

In an intriguing battle of youth against experience, Barcelona wonderkid Ansu Fati will come up against Juventus veteran Leonardo Bonucci.

Fati may be just 17 years old but has given the meanest of defences in the competition a run for their money. His incisive runs behind the backline and lethal finishing have made him one of the best young strikers at the moment.

Even though Bonucci is twice Fati's age and possesses tremendous experience, he'll be unwise to underestimate Fati, who can wreak havoc if allowed space and time on the ball.


#1 Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus) vs Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

Rodrigo Bentancur will have to stop Lionel Messi's orchestrations from the deep.
Rodrigo Bentancur will have to stop Lionel Messi's orchestrations from the deep.

So what if Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't play? Lionel Messi will still face significant competition from Juventus' midfield maestro Rodrigo Bentancur, who'll be tasked with stopping the Barcelona skipper in his tracks.

Due to the lack of a prolific creator at Barcelona, Messi often tends to drop deep these days, trying to win the ball back and spray passes forward or instigate attacks on the break.

However, Bentancur could stop that from happening by constantly pressing Messi on the ball or by using his strong frame to dispossess the diminutive Argentinian. Nevertheless, his duel with Messi could be one of the key player battles in the game.

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Edited by Bhargav