The Champions League to get back on track. Juventus and Roma want to put the championship weekend behind them and Europe, in this sense, can represent the best possible encouragement. The commitments against Manchester United and CSKA Moscow (both at 21 pm) in fact offer the opportunity to cancel Genoa and Spal, provided, of course, that they don't make mistakes again. Sure, it's unlikely that the Champions League can be underestimated and the argument applies above all to the black and whites, engaged at Old Trafford against Mourinho's Red Devils.
The ingredients for a great European night are all there, starting with Cristiano Ronaldo's return to the European arena: technically it's not a debut but in practice it's as if it were. In fact, the brief (and sad) appearance of Valencia only served to ignite the climate at Mestalla, the opposite of what will happen tonight when the Portuguese returns to a stadium that has never stopped loving him.
"It's always wonderful to be here, I've won everything in front of these fans - explained the person concerned at the press conference - A difficult match awaits us but we are Juventus, that's why I expect to win".
CR7 then promised that, in the event of a goal, he won't celebrate out of respect for his past but in his heart he can't wait and not only because he will be up against that Mourinho with whom he has never really bonded. Speaking of Josè: the match against the bianconeri certainly does not leave him indifferent and for this reason, perhaps, he has seen fit to present her to the press as "the number one favorite for the Champions League".
An assist that Allegri, still burned by the home draw with Genoa, has chosen not to collect, preferring to focus on the present and not on the future. “It's a very important match, by winning we'll mortgage the passage of the round – his words – They are strong, very physical, an excellent performance on a technical level will be needed. This will be a very delicate month, let's start here at Old Trafford with a good test”.
However, the Juventus coach will have to face him without Mandzukic, Emre Can and Khedira: important absences, which will force him to put aside the usual 4-3-3 by virtue of a 4-4-2 with Szczesny in goal, Cancelo, Bonucci, Chiellini and Alex Sandro in defense, Cuadrado, Pjanic, Matuidi and Bernardeschi in midfield, Cristiano Ronaldo and Dybala in attack.
Classic 4-3-3 instead for Mourinho, who will respond with De Gea in goal, Young, Smalling, Lindelof and Shaw in the back, Fellaini, Matic and Pogba in the midfield, Rashford, Lukaku and Martial in the offensive trident.
Delicate evening also for Roma: of course, CSKA Moscow are a much less fascinating opponent but for this very reason they must be beaten, otherwise their chances of qualifying will be compromised. Furthermore, Di Francesco wants to erase the defeat against Spal and avert the danger of a crisis-encore, far from far away in the event of a new misstep.
“No more ups and downs, we need to find more malice and find continuity – thundered the Giallorossi coach – We often leave matches too early, we must try not to do it starting tonight: CSKA Moscow have more talent than Plzen”.
Goals and show are needed, which is why Di Fra will rely on a rather offensive 4-2-3-1 with Olsen in goal, Florenzi, Manolas, Fazio and Kolarov in defense, De Rossi and Nzonzi in midfield, Under, Pellegrini and El Shaarawy on the trocar, Dzeko in attack.
Goncharenko, surprisingly top of the group after beating Real Madrid in the last round, will try another coup with a 3-4-2-1 that will see Kyrnats in goal, Becao, Chernov and Nababkin in the back, Fernandes, Bijol , Akhmetov and Oblyakov in the midfield, Dzagoev and Vlasic behind the lone striker Chalov.
