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PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: JUVENTUS V CHELSEA

TACTICAL BRIEF
Juventus need a win while Chelsea must avoid defeat. We look at which factors might determine which side achieves their aim tonight.

Key battles
Robbie Di Matteo omitted five regulars from the start at West Brom following the latest air miles extravaganza of international friendlies and ahead of this season-defining game in Group E.

He was disappointed with the performance, especially at either end of the field, and hinted at changes in personnel and approach. The grey of November has replaced the bright colours of autumn and the former Lazio man says he may explore a more defensive line-up to stem the concession of goals.

A draw would suit the Blues tonight, but without the likes of John Terry and Frank Lampard, does the Italian have the personnel to go catenaccio and lock Juve out? Having Ashley Cole fit again will certainly help.

If Antonio Conte's Serie A leaders have a weakness it is the lack of a prolific goalscorer. Fabio Quagliarella and Sebastian Giovinco have 10 between them in the league. Chelsea have a similiar problem, but like the Blues, Juve benefit from a midfield threat, especially Arturo Vidal.

Just six of the Blues' 24 Premier League goals have been scored by forwards; fewer than the seven netted by defenders and 11 derived from midfield. Set plays may well be an important asset to the Londoners this evening.

The defending champions' top scorer in this competition so far is Oscar. He played a key role in the reverse of this fixture at Stamford Bridge. Until he was stamped out of the game by Leonardo Bonucci (a foul that bizarrely went entirely unpunished) the youngster was deputed to track Juve playmaker Andrea Pirlo deep in the Italians' own half, and to steal possession where possible.

Oscar


The Brazilian topped that by hitting two goals, one a sensational strike that is a candidate for goal of the season. Pirlo, 33, has been well rested by club and country in recent weeks ahead of this match.

One Chelsea forward who made his mark in the game against Shakhtar was Victor Moses. The Nigerian's first goal in Europe's elite competition showed that he can provide the forceful individual interventions that have been a hallmark of our African players in this competition: we think of Michael Essien against Barcelona or Valencia, Didier Drogba against so many - not least Munich in last season's final.

Chelsea have bucked the trend of poor domestic form in this competition before. We must hope they manage the same in northern Italy tonight.

Squad news
Only Frank Lampard (calf) and John Terry (knee) are absent for the away team. For Juventus, striker Mirko Vucinic is a doubt due to illness.


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PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: JUVENTUS V CHELSEA

CHELSEA STATS
The Blues have topped our group in seven of our last nine Champions League campaigns. We have never failed to progress to the knockout stage.

Chelsea have won eight and lost six of our last 21 away games in the Champions League. Last term we failed to win any of our away group matches having taken the lead in all three. We achieved draws at Valencia and Genk and fell to a last-minute winner at Bayer Leverkusen.

We have scored in our last 18 Champions League matches since we lost 0-1 to Man Utd in the 2010/11 quarter-final at Stamford Bridge.

Our record in Italy is only one win in 11 matches, drawing five and losing five.

Chelsea's away record against Italian teams
1965/66 Roma D 0-0 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round
1965/66 AC Milan L 1-2 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup third round
1965/66 AC Milan D 1-1 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup third round play-off
1997/98 Vicenza L 0-1 European Cup Winners' Cup semi-final
1999/00 AC Milan D 1-1 Champions League first group stage
1999/00 Lazio D 0-0 Champions League second group stage
2003/04 Lazio W 4-0  Champions League group stage
2008/09 Roma L 1-3  Champions League group stage
2008/09 Juventus D 2-2 Champions League round of 16
2009/10 Inter L 1-2 Champions League round of 16
2011/12 Napoli L 1-3 Champions League round of 16

 
Chelsea's last ten years in Europe
2002/03 - UEFA Cup - first round
2003/04 - Champions League - semi-final
2004/05 - Champions League - semi-final
2005/06 - Champions League - round of 16
2006/07 - Champions League - semi-final
2007/08 - Champions League - runners-up
2008/09 - Champions League - semi-final
2009/10 - Champions League - round of 16
2010/11 - Champions League - quarter-final
2011/12 - Champions League - winners

 

Last six results
Oct 28 Manchester United (h) L 2-3
Oct 31 Manchester United (League Cup h) W 5-4 aet
Nov 3 Swansea (a) D 1-1
Nov 7 Shakhtar Donetsk (Champions League h) W 3-2
Nov 11 Liverpool (h) D 1-1
Nov 17 West Brom (a) L 1-2

 

Scorers Mata 7, Torres 7, Cahill 5, Hazard 4 (2 pens), Oscar 4, Ivanovic 3, Lampard 3 (2 pens), Moses 3, Ramires 3, Bertrand 2, D Luiz 2 (1 pen), Sturridge 2, Cole 1, Romeu 1 (pen), Terry 1. Total 48.

Chelsea's next three games
Sun 25 Nov Manchester City home 4pm
Wed 28 Nov Fulham home 7.45pm
Sat 1 Dec West Ham away 12.45pm

 

MILESTONES
If selected, Ashley Cole will make his 100th career appearance in Europe and Daniel Sturridge will make his 50th start for Chelsea.

We need two more goals for the half century for the season. Tonight is our 21st match.


JUVE STATS
Founded 1897

Major honours
28 league titles, last in 2012
9 Italian Cups, last in 1995
5 Italian Super Cups, last in 2012
2 European Cups, last in 1996
1 European Cup Winners' Cup in 1984
3 UEFA Cups, last in 1993
2 UEFA Super Cups, last in 1996
2 Intercontinental Cup, last in 1996


Juventus have been crowned European Champions on two occasions - in 1984/85 against Liverpool and 1995/96 against Ajax on penalties. They have been runners-up five times; 1973 v Ajax, 1983 v Hamburg, 1997 v Borussia Dortmund, 1998 v Real Madrid and AC Milan with Andriy Shevchenko on penalties in 2003.

Last ten league seasons
Pos Level
2002/03 1st 1
2003/04 3rd 1
2004/05 1st* 1
2005/06 1st* 1
2006/07 1st 2
2007/08 3rd 1
2008/09 2nd 1
2009/10 7th 1
2010/11 7th 1
2011/12 1st 1
* titles revoked

 

In winning Serie A last season Juventus remained unbeaten. Their only defeat came in the Coppa Italia final against Napoli.

Their 49-game unbeaten league run, stretching back to May 2011, ended on the 3 November at home to Inter Milan. It fell short of the all-time Italian top-flight record of 58 set in the early nineties by an AC Milan side that included Carlo Ancelotti and Ruud Gullit.

Juve's win against Nordsjaelland on Matchday Four ended a run of nine successive draws in European competition. They came behind in all the first three of this season's group matches to secure a point.

Juve have only beaten English opposition at home once in six attempts over the last 10 years.

Their overall record against English teams is 15 wins, 13 draws and 15 defeats.

Saturday's goalless draw against Lazio maintained their four-point lead at the top of Serie A.

Their home domestic and European record this season is six wins, two draws and one defeat.

Their all-time European Cup/Champions League record is played 205, won 101, drawn 52, lost 52.

Juve's last 10 away games against English teams in Europe
1997/98 Man Utd W 1-0 Champions League group stage
1998/99 Man Utd L 2-3 Champions League semi-final
2001/02 Arsenal W 1-0 Champions League second group stage
2002/03 Newcastle W 2-0 Champions League first group stage
2002/03 Man Utd L 0-3  Champions League second group stage
2004/05 Liverpool D 0-0 Champions League quarter-final
2005/06 Arsenal D 0-0 Champions League quarter-final
2008/09 Chelsea D 2-2 Champions League round of 16
2009/10 Fulham W 3-1 Europa League round of 16
2010/11 Man City D 1-1 Europa League group stage

 

Ten-year European record
2002/03 - Champions League runners-up
2003/04 - Champions League round of 16
2004/05 - Champions League quarter finals
2005/06 - Champions League quarter finals
2006/07 - Did not qualify
2007/08 - Did not qualify
2008/09 - Champions League round of 16
2009/10 - Europa League round of 16 having transferred from the Champions League group stage
2010/11 - Europa League group stage
2011/12 - Did not qualify

 

Champions League results
Sep 19 Chelsea (a) D 2-2
Oct 2 Shakhtar Donetsk (h) D 1-1
Oct 23 FC Nordsjaelland (a) D 1-1
Oct 23 FC Nordsjaelland (h)  W 4-0

 

Champions League scorers
Quagliarella 2, Vidal 2, Bonucci 1, Giovinco 1, Marchisio 1, Vučinić 1.


Last six domestic results
Oct 20 Napoli (h) W 2-0
Oct 28 Catania (a) W 1-0
Oct 31 Bologna (h) W 2-1
Nov 3 Inter (h) L 1-3
Nov 10 Pescara (a) W 6-1
Nov 17 Lazio (h) D 0-0



Serie A scorers
Quagliarella 6, Vidal 5 (2 pens), Giovinco 4, Pirlo 3, Asamoah 2, Pogba 2, Vučinić 2 (1 pen), Cáceres 1, Giaccherini 1, Lichtsteiner 1, Marchisio 1, Matri 1. Total 29.

 

PMB

 

 

Serie A top five
Pld Gd Pts
1 Juventus 13 +20 32
2 Internazionale 13 +11 28
3 Napoli 13 +11 27
4 Fiorentina 13 +13 27
5 Lazio 13 +2 23



THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE
Referee Cüneyt Çakır, his two assistant referees and two additional assistants are all from Turkey. Chelsea fans will have fond memories of two games he handled: the 4-1 beating of Spartak Moscow in 2010 and especially the epic 2-2 draw away to Barcelona last season.

His sole Juventus game before tonight was a 2-1 Europa League qualifier win in August 2010.


OTHERWISE ENGAGED
Juventus manager Antonio Conte is currently banned over alleged match-fixing violations.

There are no other suspensions.

Champions League bookings list
Players receive a one-match suspension for collecting three and five yellow cards
Juventus (7): Chiellini 2, Marchisio 2, Lichtsteiner 1, Pogba 1, Vidal 1.
Chelsea (4): D Luiz 2, Cole 1, Ramires 1

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