5 Key Battles to watch out for as Juventus host Olympique Lyon | UEFA Champions League 2019-20
Juventus are set to welcome Olympique Lyon to Turin in a crunch UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie.
The Bianconeri travelled to the Parc Olympique Lyonnais late in February and fell to a torrid 1-0 defeat at the hands of Rudi Garcia's men. The Italians saw the lion's share of the ball and had 14 shots on the night, but not a single one of them was on target.
Houssem Aouar masterminded an excellent delivery into the box to find an unmarked Lucas Tousart in the box, who found the top corner to give Lyon the lead. The hosts kept their shape and discipline throughout the game, leading to a frustrating evening for Maurizio Sarri's Bianconeri.
On Friday, they would hope to make amends for their lacklustre display in France and overturn a 1-0 deficit in the second leg. Here, we take a look at five key battles that could decide the outcome of the game.
#5 Federico Bernardeschi vs Fernando Marcal
Juventus are set to face Lyon without Brazilian star Douglas Costa, due to which Federico Bernardeschi is likely to feature on the right-hand side of Juve's attack. The Italian has seen more minutes under Sarri as the season wore on and has played in both attacking midfield and a wider role.
Marcal has been Lyon's go-to defender at left-back and will be tasked with keeping an out-of-sorts winger at bay. The tough-tackling Brazilian averages just under five tackles and interceptions a game in Ligue 1, and needs to cut off the supply to Cristiano Ronaldo and co in the middle from the right.
Bernardeschi, primarily left-footed, loves to cut in his left and drift centrally, creating space for either of Danilo or Cuadrado to overlap. Marcal will have to be alert to danger from both scenarios, and could very well find himself defending against both the Colombian and the Italian should Juve launch a precise counter. With Juventus the team likelier to push forward in numbers, Marcal could be in for a busy outing.
#4 Juan Cuadrado vs Memphis Depay
Lyon will be massively improved with the return of their talismanic leader, Memphis Depay. The Dutchman endured a few injury-laden months due to an ACL rupture which saw him miss just under 30 games for Lyon. However, upon his return, Lyon look a much more dangerous threat going forward.
Although he has played more centrally this year, he is likely to play a role off the left against Juventus. With a stacked midfield to nullify Juve's threats in the middle, Memphis could cut in from the left wreak havoc along with Moussa Dembele, the central striker. Should this be the case, his duel against Juan Cuadrado could, perhaps, be a crucial battle.
The Colombian has seamlessly taken to the role of right-back, and has done well in shutting out quick wingers on the flanks. Cuadrado has averaged over 3.5 tackles and interceptions per 90 in the UCL, and averaging just under 70 passes a game, he's proved to be a good outlet out wide. Memphis, who could go toe to toe with him, has scored five goals in as many UCL games, tallying 2.6 dribbles and 3.4 shots per game.
Memphis wasn't available for the first leg, and he would hope to impress potential buyers Borussia Dortmund with an impressive performance against Juventus.
Also read: Juventus vs Lyon preview, prediction, team news, and more | UEFA Champions League 2019-20