3 key battles which could decide Manchester United's Champions League clash with Juventus
The Champions League group stage draw concluded with a buzz around the world about the return of Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Pogba to their former clubs. Irrespective of what the outcome of the group stage would be the excitement and the anticipation was surreal.
After winning their opening two matches, Juventus led the group table with six points followed by Manchester United at four. The two clashed on matchday three at Old Trafford where the scoreline didn't reflect how poor the home side was. Though Ronaldo could not score, it was a happy coming nonetheless for the Portuguese.
Jose Mourinho and Manchester United got bashed for their performance against the Italian side. They started the game slowly and were punished by Paulo Dybala which turned out to be the only goal of the game. The attacking intent was sorely lacking from the Red Devils. The Old Trafford atmosphere was relatively quiet and the players looked clueless from the outset, with no proper game plan on show.
Game week 4 would see the return fixture where Turin would host the side from Manchester, and Paul Pogba would be returning to the stadium where he truly became a star. The stakes are high as United cannot afford to lose again which might see them drop to third in the group and would need to make up a lot of ground to qualify for the knockout stages.
With a lot of world-class players involved, here are three key battles which could decide the outcome of the match.
#3 Anthony Martial vs Joao Cancelo
Anthony Martial is the inform player for Manchester United at the moment. The Frenchman has five goals in his last four outings for the club and looks like the one who could create something whenever he has the ball. He is Jose Mourinho's go to man at the moment.
Martial would be up against a young Portuguese right-back Joao Cancelo, who has impressed for Juventus and drawn the interest of many European clubs. At Old Trafford, he got the better of the Frenchman, barely allowing him to get a free pass down the flanks.
It could be a battle to watch, and Mourinho would be hoping Martial can get the better of him this time which might be essential in deciding the fate of the game.