Juventus vs Barcelona - 5 key battles to look out for| Champions League 2020-21
It's the clash of the titans on Wednesday as Juventus welcomeBarcelona to the Allianz Stadium for an enticing clash in the 2020-21 Champions League.
Both teams have faced each other several times in the past, including in the competition's 2015 final, but this will be their first meeting since the 2017-18 season when they were also drawn in the same group.
Fans are particularly excited about this fixture because of the reunion of arch-rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. However, the Portuguese star remains doubtful for the game as he tested positive for COVID-19. Nevertheless, there are plenty of other interesting player battles on offer.
On that note, here are the top five you should be keeping an eye on:
#5 Alvaro Morata (Juventus) vs Clement Lenglet (Barcelona)
Alvaro Morata's second stint with the Bianconeri has got off to a flyer. The player has netted thrice in four games, including a brace against Dynamo Kyiv in Juventus' Champions League opener last week.
Signed on a season-long loan from Atletico Madrid, the Spaniard will hope to keep his good run going on Wednesday against a very familiar rival.
He has faced Barcelona on multiple occasions during his career and has managed to score twice against them - the 2015 Champions League final (for Juventus) and a Spanish Super Cup game this year (for Atletico Madrid).
With the mighty Catalans currently on a decline, Morata would fancy his chances of scoring against them again, which means that Clement Lenglet will have to be on his toes.
The task of organising the defence will rest primarily on the Frenchman's shoulders since Gerard Pique is suspended. Clement Lenglet will have to muster all his defensive nous to shut out the 28-year old.
#4 Federico Chiesa (Juventus) vs Sergino Dest (Barcelona)
America's promising young gun Sergino Dest will be pumped up for the clash against Juventus after his resounding performance in the Clasico at the weekend.
A left-back by trade, he's been deployed on the right by Ronald Koeman to cement Barcelona's void in that position. The 19-year old came up trumps against Real Madrid, keeping Vinicius Junior in check with vital interceptions and tackles.
He'll have to replicate those heroics again on Wednesday to nullify Federico Chiesa, who only made his Juventus debut last week. Chiesa is excellent on the ball and can pick out teammates with wonderful, pinpoint crosses inside the area while also creating goalscoring opportunities aplenty.