Bianconeri Face Heat and Tactical Decisions in Orlando
Both Juventus and Manchester City have had identical starts to their Club World Cup campaigns, securing two wins out of two in their group matches. However, their approaches have differed significantly. Pep Guardiola completely rotated his Manchester City squad between the Wydad and Al Ain fixtures, changing all eleven players, while Igor Tudor has fielded the same Juventus lineup twice in a row.
If past encounters were the sole indicator, Juventus might feel they have the edge: the last time they faced the English side in the Champions League just six months ago, the Bianconeri won 2-0. Yet, that feels like a distant memory. Juventus has since changed managers and added reinforcements in January (most notably Randal Kolo Muani), while Pep`s team signed three players in the pre-World Cup window (including former AC Milan player Tijjani Reijnders).
This first all-European clash in Group G, set to take place at the Camping Stadium in Orlando on June 26th at 9 PM Italian time, is not only crucial for securing first place but also serves as a significant test of Juventus` hunger in the Club World Cup after their strong start.
Juve training ahead of the City challenge: Conceicao skips the session
Juventus and the Heat
The first common adversary both teams must face is the heat, something the Juventus squad is already grappling with. After enjoying more comfortable temperatures in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, the Bianconeri were greeted by a constant 30 degrees Celsius upon arriving in Florida. This scorching climate forced Tudor to change his plans for yesterday morning`s training session, moving it indoors after the first 15 minutes were open to the press.
Tudor`s Potential Changes
Juventus might introduce some new faces this time around. While securing the top spot is important, they must also consider the Round of 16, scheduled four or five days later depending on their group finish. Manuel Locatelli and Dusan Vlahovic (who netted the 1-0 winner against City in December), both of whom came on as substitutes against Wydad, are strong candidates to start.
As usual, City will rely on ball possession and players dropping deep to create central overloads. Juventus will need to be adept at alternating between pressing high up the pitch to win the ball (which will be far from simple) and sitting deeper to launch quick counter-attacks, particularly down the right flank, before building play with numerical superiority on the left.
Who Will Mark Haaland?
City is brimming with talent, but the number one threat undeniably remains Erling Haaland. If the Norwegian striker plays (he was on the bench for the debut but started against Al Ain), Juventus must find a way to neutralize him. At the Allianz Stadium, they succeeded by assigning Federico Gatti to mark him tightly. However, Gatti is not yet at his peak fitness after his injury.
Tudor has not yet decided whether to risk Gatti from the start. If the Italian defender begins on the bench again, one potential solution could be to move Lloyd Kelly into a central defensive role and shift Savona to the left back position.
