Juventus manager Igor Tudor is set to shake up his starting XI ahead of the last-16 Club World Cup clash with Real Madrid, following a poor group-stage performance against Manchester City.
The Old Lady fell 5-2 to Pep Guardiola’s side, prompting Tudor to reconsider his lineup. Several changes are expected for Tuesday’s high-stakes encounter as Juventus look to secure a place in the quarter-finals.
Khephren Thuram is set to return to the heart of midfield after sitting out the Manchester City match. In the final third, attacking trio Kenan Yildiz, Francisco Conceicao, and Randal Kolo Muani are all tipped to return to the starting lineup.
Yildiz has been Juventus’s standout performer in the tournament so far, netting three goals and providing two assists in just three appearances. His performances have attracted interest from major European clubs.
Despite scoring in the previous match, Dusan Vlahovic is expected to be dropped to the bench amid transfer speculation, while Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz is also likely to start among the substitutes.
Tudor is also poised to make a defensive adjustment, handing Andrea Cambiaso a start at left wing-back in place of the underperforming regular from the City defeat.
Juventus predicted XI:
Di Gregorio; Savona, Kelly, Kalulu; Costa, Thuram, McKennie, Cambiaso; Conceicao, Kolo Muani, Yildiz
With Real Madrid bringing back Kylian Mbappe to their squad and fielding a strong XI, Juventus will need to bounce back quickly and deliver a top performance if they are to progress in the competition