Barcelona will continue their preseason as they are scheduled to take on Juventus on Wednesday at Cotton Bowl.
The Catalan giants rounded off a hard fought win over Real Madrid in the last match and would be hoping to make it four in a four. Barcelona had an underwhelming last season in the La Liga as they failed to recapture their form following the departure of Lionel Messi who joined Paris Saint Germain last summer.
The Spanish side has been in jubilant form defeating the likes of Olot, Inter Miami and Real Madrid on the road as Xavi is overseeing an entire new block of players leading to the new season.
Barcelona’s financial mess was the subject of grave concern for the Catalan Giants but president Joan Laporta decided to sell a chunk of their media rights which has now enabled them to flex their financial muscle in the transfer market.
They have already brought in Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen and are reportedly in talks with Jules Kounde for a potential transfer.
The transfer of Frenkie de Jong is still hanging over a thread as the Dutch midfielder has been linked with Manchester United this summer. He has been used by Xavi in the defence in the last couple of matches and it remains to be seen whether he stays at Nou Camp or not.
Juventus have failed to win the Serie-A on the last two occasions as both Inter Milan and AC Milan solidified their positions at the top and it would be a tough battle this time for the Bianconeri.
The Italian giants have signed Gleison Bremer, Andrea Cambiaso and Angel di Maria while they also welcomed their former midfielder Paul Pogba who joined the club from Manchester United.
Juventus sold Matthijs de Ligt to Bayern Munich and they will be keen to add more reinforcements to their ranks. Juventus got the better of Guadalajara in the last match and after meeting Barcelona they are also poised to clash with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona vs Juventus
Date: 27th July 2022
Time: 6:00 AM IST
Venue: Cotton Bowl
Barcelona vs Juventus
Team News
Barcelona
Xavi is unlikely to tweak his setup against Juventus. Kessie might feature in the midfield as de Jong might have to wait for his place in the starting eleven.
Juventus
Paul Pogba has been ruled out due to a knee injury and manager Max Allegri is likely to make a number of changes to the lineup. Leonardo Bonucci and Dusan Vlahovic are expected to make their way into the lineup.
Barcelona Possible Lineup
Ter Stegen; Dest, Christensen, Araujo, Alba; Kessie, Busquets, Pedri; Fati, Lewandowski, Raphinha
Juventus Possible Lineup
Sczcesny; Cuadrado, Bremer, Bonucci, Sandro; Locatelli, Fagioli, Zakaria; Di Maria, Vlahovic, Kean
Predictions
Barcelona are expected to edge Juventus as they started their preseason much before and their players have more sharpness.
Barcelona vs Juventus Fantasy XI NO. 1
Ter Stegen; Christensen, Bonucci, Sandro; Zakaria, Busquets, Pedri, Locatelli; Di Maria, Lewandowski, Raphinha
Barcelona vs Juventus Fantasy XI NO. 2
Ter Stegen; Christensen, Bonucci, Sandro, Alba; Zakaria, Busquets, Pedri; Di Maria, Lewandowski, Raphinha
