Group D leaders Juventus travel to Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday. Maurizio Sarri’s men have already sealed a spot in the next round, but the German side still have plenty to play for.
If Lokomotiv Moscow can prevent Atletico Madrid from winning in the other Group D clash on Matchday 6, then a win for Bayer Leverkusen would see them progress into the next round.
After losing their opening three Champions League games in 2019/20, this would be a miraculous turnaround for the German outfit.
Bayer looked down and out at the halfway point of the group stage. Three straight defeats had left them rock bottom of the group, and it looked as though Peter Bosz’s side were heading for an early exit.
However, six points from a shock 2-1 victory over Atletico and a hard-fought win in Russia have handed Leverkusen a lifeline.
As expected, group-favourites Juventus have breezed through the group stage. The Italian giant have been streaks ahead of the other three teams in Group D, and they haven't lost a game in the Champions League this term.
After an eventful draw with Atletico on the opening day, Juventus romped to four straight victories – opening up a six-point lead at the top of the group.
The Turin outfit did the double over Lokomotiv Moscow and also beat Atletico again in the previous round. But their biggest win came against Leverkusen on Matchday 2.
Goals from Gonzalo Higuain, Federico Bernardeschi and Cristiano Ronaldo saw Juventus seal a comfortable victory over Leverkusen in the reverse fixture, so the German side will be wary of Juve’s threat.
For the first season in a number of years, Juventus haven’t had it all their own way in Serie A. Juve are two points behind first-place Inter after failing to win either of their last two league games. A disappointing 2-2 draw with Sassuolo was followed up by a 3-1 defeat to Lazio.
On the other hand, Bayer will have a spring in their step following a couple of excellent wins. The top end of the Bundesliga table is extremely tight at the moment, but consecutive 2-1 victories over top-four rivals Bayern Munich and Schalke have thrust the club into the title race.
This game is a must-win for the German side, but Juventus are likely to frustrate Leverkusen. Peter Bosz’s side have been playing well recently, but there’s no denying that Juve possess a far superior squad.
Forebet predicts that a draw is on the cards. Both sides are expected to get on the scoresheet, but neither team is set to come out on top.