It was a good weekend for reigning Europa League champs Sevilla as they knocked off Rayo Vallecano 3-2 to gain all three points in La Liga. Now they have a chance to get six out of possible six points in the Champions League as they face Juventus.
Form
It has been a less than impressive start in La Liga for Sevilla as they sit 16th in the La Liga. Sevilla's 3-2 victory against Rayo Vallecano was their first win this season and two draws against Levante and Malaga give Sevilla a total of five points. They had looked out of it at the beginning but the victory at the weekend can only be good for team morale. They will look to build on that win as they head into European play where they have had better results.
It has been a rough start for Juventus domestically as well. The Old Lady now sits 15th in Serie A with only five points from six games. It has been a horrible start for Juventus and it is clear that the losses of the likes of Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal have hurt the team. For a team that is used to dominating the competition domestically, it has to be worrying times for Juventus. The most recently lost 2-1 to Napoli and although Juve tried to stage a late comeback but they came up just short. But like Sevilla, they have had better days in Europe. However, they did beat Manchester City at the Etihad on match day one with goals from Mario Mandzukic and Alvaro Morata givIng last year's runners up all three points.
Key Players
The key player for Sevilla will be striker Kevin Gameiro. With Fernando Llorente ruled out of the match, Gameiro will likely be the lone man up top for Sevilla. He scored in Sevilla's last fixture against Borussia Mönchengladbach. He will have to face the likes of Bonucci and Chiellini by himself and that is a tough task for any player in the world.
The key man for Juventus will be once again be Paul Pogba. In their last Champions League game, it was Pogba's spot on pass to Mandzukic that set up the equalizer for Juventus against Man City. Without Vidal and Pirlo helping out Pogba in the midfield, he has had to generate many of Juves chances. The best box to box midfielder in Italy will have to show his class if the Turin side want to walk out against Sevilla with some points.
Team News
Former Juventus striker Fernando Llorente has been ruled out for this clash as he is still suffering for a muscle strain. It would have been a game full of emotions if he had been fit to play.
Midfielder Ever Banega has been ruled of the match as well as he suffered a sprained right knee. The Argentine will also miss games for his national team during October.
It was a nice sight for Juve fans to see Sami Khedira back in training for Juve. After suffering a knee injury very early in the season, the German is back in training and will likely be fit for Juve in the coming weeks.
Juventus defender Martin Caceres has been suspended by the team after crashing his car in what authorities say was a drink-driving accident.
What They're Saying
"Playing against Juventus is a great opportunity to show the whole of Europe what we are capable of" said Sevilla manager Unai Emery in a press conference on the weekend.
After winning the Europa League two years in a row, Sevilla have something to prove in the Champions League. Although they got off to a great start by winning their first game, beating Juventus would be a real leap for Emery's side.
"At the moment, we've got to focus only on what we've got to do on the field" said Juve manager Massimiliano Allegri.
Although Juve have struggled in Italy, they started off Champions League play with a bang and will look to reach the knockout stages in what has been a rough start to the season.