Juventus need to win to ensure a top-place finish in Group H. This could be a tricky situation for coach Claudio Ranieri who will be tempted to send out a few squad players in order to rest a few of his regulars ahead of the weekend’s vital clash with AC Milan. A draw will ensure a top-place finish but the risk of losing could be too great a price to pay. A win by the troubled Real Madrid and defeat for Juventus would mean a second-place finish and a tougher opening round in the group of sixteen. The only player out of the long list of injured-hit Juventus stars who could return is captain Alessandro Del Piero who missed the weekend’s win against Lecce.
Whatever the result of this match, BATE Borisov will finish bottom of Group H. However, they became the first team from Belarus to reach the group stage of the Champions League. They did give Real Madrid, who is in the same group, much to think about two weeks ago and this could be a warning to Juventus not to take them too lightly. Real Madrid, who would probably buy any win at this stage, only just scraped home by a solitary goal at the Bernabeu. BATE have also just been crowned the Vysshaya Liga champions in their native Belarus which should give them any confidence that they may need. Defender Vladimir Rzhevski will be the only absentee. He has an ankle injury.
With BATE having nothing to lose it could be an entertaining match where Juventus could win a high-scoring affair by at least two goals.
REVIEW:
In a dull 0-0 draw against BATE Borisov; Juventus assured themselves top spot in Group H.
Even though they finished with the same number of points as Real Madrid, Juventus had beaten the Spanish club both home and away. Snow as well as a poor crowd of only about twelve thousand hardly lifted this match to any heights.
A penalty miss in the fifty-third minute by Sebastian Giovinco for Juventus was as close as anyone really came to scoring. It must be said that neither side really made much of an effort to play adventurous football.