Barcelona vs Juventus Joan Gamper trophy: 5 players to watch
Barcelona take on Juventus in a Joan Gamper trophy match at the Estadi Johan Cruyff on Sunday. In this annual pre-season friendly fixture, which takes place before the La Laga campaign kicks off, Barcelona usually take on some of the very big teams from Europe's top five leagues.
This year, they are hosting Serie A giants Juventus, who will kick off their Serie A campaign on August 22 but have one more friendly scheduled against Atalanta after this game.
The biggest news surrounding this game is that Lionel Messi will not be a part of the Barcelona, as he has been let go by the club. Cristiano Ronaldo will be available in the Juventus squad, but fans will not be able to witness another duel between the two long-time rivals.
This game may be a friendly one, but players on both sides will be raring to give a good account of themselves, as both Barcelona and Juventus have quite a few talented players in their ranks.
On that note, here's a look at the five players to watch out for in the Joan Gamper trophy between Barcelona and Juventus.
#5 Sergio Aguero | Barcelona
Sergio Aguero is one of the three marquee signings made by Ronald Koeman in the off-season. Barcelona were in requirement of an accomplished striker since the 2020-21 season, so the former Manchester City star might prove to be a good fit at Camp Nou.
Aguero joined Barcelona following Argentina's Copa America 2021 triumph, and is yet to make an appearance in the pre-season. His 2020-21 campaign with Manchester City was marred with recurring injuries. So he will hope to get up and running for his new club, even though it's a friendly, now that he is back to full fitness.
Barcelona have played Antoine Griezmann in the No. 9 role in the friendly games thus far. So with Aguero's inclusion, the front three should comprise the Argentine striker in the middle, and Griezmann and M emphisDepay flanking him.
#4 Dejan Kulusevski | Juventus
Dejan Kulusevski is one of the most promising youngsters in European football at the moment. He ranked sixth in the Golden Boy race in 2020, and has become a regular starter for the Serie A giants.
He played 47 games across all competitions for the Bianconeri last season. Although he scored only seven times, he proved to be a good rotation player for Juventus, providing a threat going forward when Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata misfired.
Kulusevski is a star for the future and needs more time to become a more rounded player. So this game against a club like Barcelona provides him with a great opportunity to get some minutes under his belt.
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