At 4:00 AM China Time on November 6, in the fourth round of the first stage of the 24/25 Champions League season, Juventus will travel to Pierre Mauroy Stadium to face Lille, who have consecutively defeated the Madrid duo, making them a formidable opponent.
After being banned by UEFA last season, Juventus returned to the Champions League in the 24/25 season. They welcomed new coach Thiago Motta in the summer transfer window, spending €54.7 million to sign Kupmeinas, €51.5 million for Douglas Luiz, €20.6 million for Khephren Thuram, €12.8 million for Caval, and €2 million for Vasilije Adzic, presenting a completely renewed look.
At the start of the new season, Juventus showed strong momentum, performing well in both Serie A and the Champions League with their solid defense. However, since September, Juventus has entered a bottleneck phase. Although they achieved a record of 5 wins, 6 draws, and 1 loss in 12 matches, which looks like only one defeat, they were disappointingly held to draws by mid-table teams like Empoli and Parma.
In the Champions League, Juventus won their first two matches, defeating PSV Eindhoven 3-1 at home and then reversing a 2-3 deficit to beat RB Leipzig 3-2, securing 6 points. However, with the injury of their defensive core player Bremer, they lost 0-1 to Stuttgart at home in the last round, suffering their first defeat of the season and dropping to 14th place.
Lille has often been relatively unknown, although they once stunned Paris Saint-Germain to win the league title. Most of the time, they hover around the upper-middle ranks of Ligue 1. This season, they signed Fernandes Pardo, Sahraoui, and Moukao, among others, spending a total of €23 million. After 10 rounds of Ligue 1, they stand at 4th place with 5 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses.
In the Champions League, Lille had an inauspicious start, losing 0-2 away to Sporting CP. However, they then faced Real Madrid at home and won 1-0, embarrassing the mighty Galacticos. Subsequently, they reversed a 1-3 deficit to beat Atlético Madrid 3-1 away, becoming another team to win against both Madrid clubs in a single Champions League season.
Since drawing 3-3 with Strasbourg on September 21, Lille has remained undefeated in their last 8 matches, winning 5 and drawing 3. Juventus’s attacking capabilities are clearly unsatisfactory, having scored only 19 goals in 11 Serie A matches, ranking them last among the top 6 teams in Serie A, even behind Lazio and Fiorentina.
Lille’s attacking ability is also average, scoring only 16 goals in 10 Ligue 1 matches, placing them in the middle of the league. After Bremer’s injury, Juventus’s defense has become vulnerable, conceding 8 goals in the last 6 matches. Lille’s defense is decent, conceding only 9 goals in 10 league matches and just 1 goal in their two matches against the Madrid clubs.
Lille has demonstrated strong home form, winning 5 out of 8 home matches this season, drawing 2, and losing 1, with goals in every home match. Juventus’s away form is also good, with 4 wins and 2 draws in their first 6 away matches, including a famous 4-4 draw against Inter Milan after trailing by 2 goals and a 3-2 comeback win against RB Leipzig with one man down.
The two sides have never met in official competition before, making this a true clash of unfamiliar foes. Can Juventus withstand the pressure and secure a point away from home?
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