Villarreal vs Juventus

After the 1-0 win over Athletic Club, Villarreal welcome Juventus to the Estadio de la Cerámica for a UEFA Champions League clash that brings back memories of their dramatic knockout tie in 2021-22. That campaign saw the Spanish side eliminate the Bianconeri with a 4-1 aggregate victory, with Dusan Vlahovic scoring after just 33 seconds, only for Villarreal to respond and claim a valuable 1-1 draw on home turf, before a superb 3-0 win in Turin. Since then, Villarreal’s Champions League home record has been inconsistent. They have won only two of their last 12 fixtures at Estadio de la Cerámica, drawing five and losing five, while finding the net just 10 times across those matches. After going unbeaten in their first 11 Champions League games at home, the decline has been noticeable, with five defeats in their last nine. That lack of cutting edge in front of goal is something they must improve if they are to trouble a Juventus side that, despite its defensive flaws, remains a dangerous opponent. Bouncing back from their opening-day 1-0 loss to Spurs will be the ultimate objective when they host the Old Lady. Georges Mikautadze and Ayoze Perez could team up at the attacking end of the Yellow Submarine’s 4—4—2 formation, having done so on Match Day 1 against Spurs.

For Juventus, they head back after a 1-1 draw with Atalanta at the weekend, a result they would be keen to shake off, having slipped a few places down the domestic table. Following their 4-4 draw with Dortmund on UCL MD 1, this fixture offers a chance to reassert themselves against a team that has proven tricky in recent years. However, UCL outings have not provided promising results in recent times. The Old Lady have only managed two victories in their last nine Champions League matches, a run that has stalled their progress. Even so, they travel to Spain with confidence, having lost just once in their last six away games against Spanish clubs in the competition [3W, 2D, 1L]. They would be hoping to draw inspiration from that strong record when they make the trip to the Estadio de la Cerámica. A 3—4—2—1 formation with Lois Openda in the attack is expected against Villarreal.