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The eyes of every football fan across the world lit up when Barcelona and Juventus were drawn in the same group in this year's UEFA Champions League. Not only is it a mouth-watering clash on its own, but it also means that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo can once again share the pitch and go up against each other.
Both sides have already booked their spot in the last-16 stage of the competition, and the Spanish side currently sits at the top with a lead of 3 points. The hosts are coming off the back of a surprise 2-1 defeat away to Cadiz in La Liga. Juventus on the other hand scored twice inside the final 13 minutes to secure a 2-1 win over Torino.
Team news is more or less confirmed and both teams have injury issues. Ousmane Dembélé is the latest name is Barcelona's long injury list. The Frenchman joins Ansu Fati, Gerard Pique, Sergi Roberto, and Samuel Umtiti.
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Juventus are still without the services of Giorgio Chiellini, Merih Demiral, and Gianluigi Buffon while an in-form Alvaro Morata is likely to start this game. Juventus' talisman Cristiano Ronaldo missed out on the first game back in October but won't miss this opportunity to come up against his arch-nemesis Lionel Messi.
The game could decide topspot in Group G and you can expect a banger of a game when both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi take the pitch. Keeping all that in mind, let us take a look at the 5 players to watch out for in this clash
#5 Matthijs de Ligt - Juventus
Matthijs de Ligt hasn't had the best luck since football re-started. The Dutch international missed 3 months of footballing action due to a shoulder injury. The Italian champions felt his absence and they will be glad to see him back on the pitch. The 21-year old is dominant in the air and is blessed with strength. His confidence on the ball is admirable and will surely help Juventus in opening up Barcelona's midfield.
As a right-sided central defender, De Ligt will majorly have to deal with Griezmann and Braithwaite, which is a challenge he will be looking forward to. In 2019, Ronald Koeman said that De Ligt will be the best center-back in the world in two years. Koeman has worked with De Ligt for Holland and knows a thing or two about him, but getting past him is still a tall order.
#4 Frenkie de Jong - Barcelona
Frenkie de Jong is arguably Ronald Koeman's most important player in that Barcelona midfield. He is significant to the way Barcelona go about their game and surely will play a crucial part in that midfield battle. The Dutch international's balance, dribbling ability, and distribution helps his team open up opponents.
Mostly all football games are decided on the fact as to who wins the midfield battle. With Frenkie de Jong running the midfield for Barcelona, he could surely be the key for the home side in this fixture. Barcelona's De Jong coming up against Juventus midfielder Rabiot is a key battle the viewer should watch out for.
Also Read: Barcelona vs Juventus: 5 Key battles | UEFA Champions League
#3 Álvaro Morata - Juventus
There is something about Álvaro Morata which makes him absolutely lethal when he is in a good headspace. The Spaniard has had a rough couple of seasons with Chelsea and found little redemption in Atlético Madrid, but this Juventus move is working out perfectly for the striker. The 28-year old has 3 goals and 3 assists in 7 league starts and has led from the front in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo in many of those games.
It gets even better for Morata in Europe where is currently the top scorer in the Champions League with 6 goals. The in-form Juventus striker will surely look to gain the best from the fact that Barcelona is missing key players in that back four. The clash is all about Messi and Ronaldo but Alvaro Morata might very well have the final say.
#2 Lionel Messi - Barcelona
The season has been a surprising one, not only for Barcelona but also for their talisman Lionel Messi. It is something neither the Argentine nor the billions of football fans have ever experienced in more than a decade. Messi has 4 goals in 10 league games out of which 2 have been from the spot. The numbers do get better on the European stage, but it hasn't been a season to remember so far for arguably the greatest player of all time.
Given all that, we still have to include Lionel Messi as a key player in this football game. Messi was rested for the last two European fixtures but he is unlikely to be playing in the same domestic league again with Cristiano Ronaldo, so one can expect him to start this encounter for Barcelona and play against his arch-nemisis.
It is a game the 33-year old will not want to miss and the competition could inspire him to be back at his very best once again.
Also read: Barcelona vs Juventus combined XI | Champions League 2020-21
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo - Juventus
There isn't a bigger name in UEFA Champions League than Cristiano Ronaldo. Players earn their money by delivering when it matters and Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has more than done so over the years. His numbers are more than astonishing and yes even Lionel Messi doesn't match the standard that the Portuguese has set in this competition.
Cristiano Ronaldo missed a few games for Juventus this season after he tested positive for Coronavirus but the 35-year old has made an amazing start to this season. With 10 goals in just 8 starts across all competitions, Ronaldo has surely hit the ground from the word go.
Both the modern-day legends have faced each other five times in the competition, and Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi has scored three times. Surprisingly Ronaldo hasn't hit the back of the net yet, but this game will offer him perhaps his best chance to score against Lionel Messi and Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League.
Also read: Barcelona vs Juventus prediction, preview, team news and more | UEFA Champions League 2020-21
