Chelsea vs Juventus - 5 key battles to watch | UEFA Champions League 2021-22
Chelsea host Juventus at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday in the Champions League, looking to book their place in the last-16 with a win.
The Blues currently trail their Serie A counterparts by three points, having lost the reverse fixture in September 1-0 in Turin.
Juventus, meanwhile, have maintained a 100% win record in Group H, confirming their place in the next round.
However, the fight for the top spot isn't over yet. The side would be remiss to rest on their laurels here, with one more game still to go after this one.
Chelsea have lost their last two games against Juventus. But they are unbeaten at home, winning and drawing on the Turin side's last two visits to Stamford Bridge.
Ahead of the blockbuster clash, let's look at five key battles that could shape the outcome:
#5 Jorginho (Chelsea) vs Weston McKennie (Juventus)
Weston McKennie is starting to turn a corner at Juventus following a torrid start to the 2021-22 campaign. But against Chelsea, he faces his toughest examination yet.
That's because the American will have to duel with Jorginho, arguably the best holding midfielder right now.
Jorginho vs Leicester
- 77 minutes played
- 52 passes (88.1%)
- 2 Key passes
- 2 Big chances created
- 5 long balls (3)
- 9 Ground duels (4)
- 2 Interceptions
- 1 tackle
A Masterclass in Midfield๐คฉ๐ https://t.co/802j64qrvb
His all-round vision is superb and makes excellent ball-recoveries. The Italian is also averaging a stunning 3.3 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game in Europe, a testament to his reading of the game.
McKennie's ability to dictate play from the deep will require the utmost attention from Jorginho. He also has to make sure he doesn't roam forward much as the player has a knack for goals too.
#4 Alvaro Morata (Juventus) vs Thiago Silva (Chelsea)
With 20 goals from 44 games in all competitions, Alvaro Morata made a fine return to Juventus last season. He's continued in a similar vein in the current campaign too, contributing six goals from 15 games.
Exactly half of those involvements have come in the Champions League, including two goals in four group matches. He's likely to start over Moise Kean again on Tuesday.
Alvaro Morata's goal sends Spain to the 2022 World Cup ๐คฉ
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Even more than his output, it's the Spaniard's link-up play between the lines which Thiago Silva will have to be wary of. Letting him have too much space could be detrimental.
Not that the 37-year-old is error-prone. In fact, he's been flawless as ever and will have to muster his A1 game once again to keep Morata in check.