MX23RW : Monday, January 18 15:36:05| >> :60:2727:2727:
Dec 8, 2020 at 8pm UK at Camp Nou
BarcelonaBarcelona
0-3
JuventusJuventus

Alba (27'), Lenglet (31'), Umtiti (60'), Firpo (78')
FT(HT: 0-2)
Ronaldo (13' pen., 52' pen.), McKennie (20')
Ramsey (29'), Morata (54'), Danilo (69')

Combined XI: Barcelona vs. Juventus

Ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash between Barcelona and Juventus, Sports Mole picks a combined XI from both squads.

Barcelona and Juventus will round off their respective Champions League Group G campaigns when they lock horns at Camp Nou on Tuesday night.

Both sides have already booked their spot in the knockout round of the competition, and Barca have a three-point cushion over second-placed Juve at the top of the section.

Juve can still finish above the Catalan giants, although they would have to win by three goals or more, or by any two-goal margin other than 2-0 in order to move ahead of Ronald Koeman's side.

Barca have been excellent in the Champions League this season - winning all five of their matches - but it has been a different story in La Liga, where they are currently seventh after a poor start.

Juve have also found it difficult to show their best form in Serie A this season, although the dominant force in Italian football are third in the table, three points behind leaders AC Milan.

Tuesday's fixture will be the 13th meeting between the two sides in European competition, and Barca lead the head-to-head record five wins to Juve's three, with the other three matches being drawn.

Some of Europe's biggest talents will be on display in this game and with that in mind, Sports Mole picks a combined XI from both squads, using only players available for the contest.


Combined XI: BAR vs. JUV

There is no question that Wojciech Szczesny has developed into a very good goalkeeper for Juve, but it was not too difficult to select Barca's Marc-Andre ter Stegen between the sticks in this particular XI. The Germany international, who missed the start of the campaign through injury, has only conceded once in his two Champions League appearances this season and is currently one of the best stoppers in Europe.

The back four includes three Juve players, with Juan Cuadrado given the nod over Sergino Dest with Sergi Roberto out injured, while Leonardo Bonucci and Matthijs de Ligt are chosen ahead of Clement Lenglet, Oscar Mingueza and Ronald Araujo. Barca have not exactly excelled defensively this season, and the Catalan giants are now without Gerard Pique for an extended period. In truth, it was not difficult to choose Bonucci and De Ligt, but there is a Barca representative at left-back with Jordi Alba given the nod over Alex Sandro and Danilo.

A two-man midfield includes a player from each side, with Barca's Frenkie de Jong joined by Juve's Rodrigo Bentancur. De Jong has shown his class for the La Liga giants this season despite their troubles, while Bentancur has been an important player for Andrea Pirlo. The latter has particularly impressed in his last two outings against Ferencvaros and Dynamo Kiev in the European Cup and would provide balance alongside De Jong as part of a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Further forward, Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho are both included, with the two players certainly contributing for Barca this season. Griezmann has five goals in 14 appearances at club level this term, including two strikes in four Champions League outings. Coutinho, meanwhile, has managed three goals and two assists in 10 appearances upon his return from a loan spell at Bayern Munich, including an assist against Ferencvaros in the Champions League back in October.

Lionel Messi, unsurprisingly, is also included, despite the fact that the Argentine has found it difficult to show his best form this season. The attacker has still come up with seven goals and four assists in 13 appearances for Koeman's side in 2020-21, though, including three goals and two assists in three Champions League matches. It does appear that Messi will be moving on next year, potentially to either Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain.

Messi is joined in the XI by a certain Cristiano Ronaldo, who has managed 10 goals in nine appearances in all competitions this season. The Portuguese missed out on the chance to face Barca in Turin due to a positive coronavirus test but is available for Tuesday's contest. Ronaldo has two Champions League goals in three appearances this season and will be determined to fire against the hosts at Camp Nou.

ID:425427:cQx

How you voted: Barcelona vs Juventus

Barcelona
43.2%
Draw
22.1%
Juventus
34.7%
2638
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Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix celebrates scoring on November 7, 2020
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Combined XI: Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona
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Todays Game Header Right
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Atletico MadridAtletico1613213162541
2Real Madrid18114330151537
3Barcelona18104437172034
4Villarreal188822617932
5Real Sociedad1986529161330
6Sevilla179352115630
7Granada188372129-827
8Celta Vigo186572228-623
9CadizCadiz186571522-723
10Real Betis187292231-923
11Levante175662324-121
12Athletic Bilbao186392122-121
13Getafe175571518-320
14Valencia184772425-119
15EibarEibar184771518-319
16AlavesAlaves184681623-718
17Real Valladolid184681625-918
18ElcheElche163761421-716
19Osasuna183691527-1215
20Huesca181981428-1412

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