Juventus vs Ajax: Preview, Dream XI and more
Juventus and Ajax have everything to play for when the two sides meet in the UEFA Champions League 2018-19 quarter-finals second leg in Turin. The first leg ended at 1-1 with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring his 125th Champions League goal. Ajax will be out to repeat their heroics of the last round. There is everything to play for. Here is the detailed match preview.
Team news and selection
Several players were rested by Juve over the weekend in Serie A. Forward Mario Mandzukic is set to miss the game with a knee injury. For Ajax, Frenkie de Jong is a doubt after suffering a hamstring injury.
View point: What the managers had to say
Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri praised Ronaldo saying, "Cristiano has extraordinary quality. In certain moments he becomes an unstoppable player and you can see it on his face." Meanwhile, Ajax manager Ten Hag said, "I'm confident because of the way we are playing and training. We are stronger and we are showing it game by game. Juventus are the favorites, especially after the Amsterdam result."
Stat attack: All the important numbers you need to know
Juventus go into the tie unbeaten in their past 10 meetings with Ajax. The Serie A champions are looking to reach the UCL semi-finals for the third time in the past five seasons. Meanwhile, Ajax are looking to reach the semis for the first time since 1996-97. Ronaldo has scored in his last five games against Ajax. He has amassed eight goals in total.
Dream11: We go in with a 4-4-2 formation
Juventus goalie Wojciech Szczesny leads the line on goal. There is a four-man defense with Leonardo Bonucci and Daniele Rugani forming the central partnership. Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui fit in as the full-backs. The four-man mid-field sees Miralem Pjanic, Paulo Dybala, Lasse Schone and David Neres providing cushion. Cristiano Ronaldo (captain) and Dusan Tadic (vice-captain) are the two forwards.
Timing, TV listing and venue
The match is set to be held at the Allianz Stadium in Turin. It is going to start at 12:30 AM IST. The match can be telecast live on the Sony Ten Network. One can stream the match live on the Sony LIV app.
