Juventus vs. Manchester City: UCL Previews, odds and Predictions

Wednesday night's Champions League match between Juventus and a Manchester City side that has been underperforming will occur in Turin.

City is going through a confidence crisis, and Juve has struggled to convert one point into three regularly this season. The two teams are almost tied in the league-phase standings.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Manchester City squandered a three-goal lead with less than 20 minutes to play on home ground in their penultimate Champions League match against Feyenoord, resulting in a spectacular 3-3 draw. This set off rumors of an ending era.

The reigning Premier League winners are suffering their worst run of form since Pep Guardiola took command, and their 4-1 defeat to Sporting CP in Lisbon was only the latest low point in a downhill spiral that began weeks ago.

City has let in seven goals in their last two European games after keeping a scoreless draw in their first three games of the season. With just one point from those games, their current point total is eight, barely good enough for a playoff spot.

They won in 2023 and have been to the playoffs every year since, finishing first in their group for seven years in a row. Now Guardiola has to keep his struggling team in the top 24.

Rico Lewis equalized twice at Selhurst Park before receiving a red card, as City rallied from down twice to earn a 2-2 draw away to Premier League strugglers Crystal Palace. This prevented City from suffering another setback in domestic play over the weekend.

So, the Citizens go to Italy with a winless streak across all competitions, and they'll be looking to prevent an embarrassing club record on Wednesday night.

It is the first time City have played Juventus during Guardiola's tenure, but their current winless streak against the Bianconeri is the joint-longest against any opponent in UEFA.

Juventus have won thrice and drawn twice against their next guests since losing their first encounter in 1976.

Juve, like City, are in a precarious position in the Champions League rankings this season; they won their first two games but then won only one of their next three.

Following their lone loss against Stuttgart in the 2024–25 season, Thiago Motta's squad drew Lille and Aston Villa last month.

The two-time European champions continued to slip in the Serie A championship chase last weekend, drawing the 19th consecutive league match since the beginning of the year. They are currently seven points behind the lead.

While playing host to Bologna on Saturday night, they were lucky to escape with a tie after falling twice. Teun Koopmeiners scored a goal to pull the team level, and substitute Samuel Mbangula scored the winning goal in the 92nd minute.

Four draws in as many tournaments and seven in as many games brought the Turin giants' defensive record to the best in Serie A, with ten goals allowed and ten clean sheets in fifteen games played.

Juventus vs. Manchester City Team News

Pep Guardiola hopes to have England star Phil Foden available midweek after his bronchitis layoff, even if Manchester City's injury list is still stubbornly lengthy. Foden missed the team's stalemate with Crystal Palace.

City will be without Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji, two defensive players who hurt themselves in last week's victory against Nottingham Forest; John Stones, Mateo Kovacic, and Oscar Bobb, two long-term absentees; and Rodri and Rodri.

Despite serving a Premier League ban, Rico Lewis will be eligible to start on Wednesday. He made history by playing every minute in the Champions League this season at 19 and created thirteen scoring opportunities.

Matheus Nunes, meanwhile, has scored more goals than any of his colleagues this season, scoring three in his previous three games. Guardiola may re-insert the Portuguese midfielder, who saw little action in earlier matches.

After missing three weeks due to a thigh injury, star striker Dusan Vlahovic returned to play on Saturday, and Nicolo Savona also appeared. Still, Juventus has lost some of its regulars lately from their busy treatment room.

Thiago Motta will likely continue alongside Pierre Kalulu and Federico Gatti in the middle of the defense. At the same time, the latter will compete with Danilo, a former Manchester City player, as a full-back.

Still sidelined with ACL tears are Nico Gonzalez, Weston McKennie, and another ex-City player, Douglas Luiz; versatile wide receiver Andrea Cambiaso might miss time with an ankle issue.

Our predictions

Full-time draw @ 3.50 on Sky247.ng

Despite Juventus' impressive clean sheet record, Manchester City should take home a point; the Italian team is still finding its footing under Thiago Motta's leadership.

Recent losses rattle City, but Juve has lost four of their past six Champions League home matches, which is the same number as in the previous forty, and injuries have also reduced their roster.

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