Champions League Game Time Thread: Juventus vs. Atlético Madrid

When Juventus were drawn against Atlético Madrid back in December, the reaction was mixed. Some liked it, some didn’t, others were seemingly undecided on how to truly feel about drawing a team in the first knockout round of the Champions League that could quite possibly be the equal to a Juve team that, at the time, was far from impressing anybody.

We sit here about three months later on the brink of two things happening:

1. Juventus’ Champions League campaign could end a lot, lot earlier than any of us ever wanted them to see have happen.
2. Juventus will have just completed one hell of a comeback in the second leg that allowed that to advance to the Champions League quarterfinals and continue to carry the flag for all of Italy and Serie A.

A game that Max Allegri doesn’t want to call the ‘Game of the Year’ has all the makings of the ‘Game of the Year’ because of everything that is riding on it. Juventus, fresh of seeing its Serie A lead extended to 18 points over the weekend, will now try to reverse a 2-0 aggregate hole they dug themselves in Spain against an in-form Atlético Madrid side that is starting to look a whole lot like those Atléti teams of the past that had so much success in Europe.

For Juventus, it’s simple. Well, at least when it comes to the scenarios that they need to fall in their favor when it comes what has to happen if they want to see the Champions League quarterfinals. In actuality, the task that stands in front of them is nothing even close to what anybody would consider as something that’s easy.

Juventus will have to both be efficient and effective up front while holding tight defensively. If Atlético Madrid scores a goal, then the uphill battle that Juve have in front of them will become even that much more difficult.

Yeah, we don’t want that to happen.

So, for the next couple of hours, we will sit and stress over the fact that Juventus’ Champions League run could very well come to an end even before the second-full week of March is even halfway over. That’s not what we all envisioned when Juventus signed the tournament’s greatest ever goal scorer with a nine-figure transfer fee or openly talked about how much the Champions League is a clear-cut objective this season.

Yet, it is. And now we wait and see what the hell is about to happen.

MATCH INFO

When: Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Where: Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy

Official kickoff time: 8 p.m. local time in Italy and around Europe; 7 p.m. in the United Kingdom; 4 p.m. Eastern Time; 1 p.m. Pacific Time

STARTING LINEUPS

Juventus starting XI (4-3-3): Szczesny; Cancelo, Bonucci, Chiellini, Spinazzola; Can, Pjanic, Matuidi; Bernardeschi, Mandzukic; Ronaldo

Juventus bench: Perin, Caceres, Dybala, Kean, Rugani, Bentancur, Nicolussi Caviglia

Atlético Madrid starting XI (4-4-2): Oblak; Arias, Gimenez, Godin, Juanfran; Koke, Rodrigo, Saul, Lemar; Griezmann; Morata

Atlético Madrid bench: Adan, Savic, Montero, Vitolo, Mikel Carro, Kalinic, Correa

HOW TO WATCH

Television: TNT, UniMás, Univision Deportes (United States); BT Sport 3 (United Kingdom); Sky Sport Uno, Sky Sport 2 (Italy)

Online/mobile: B/R Live, Watch TNT, Univision Deportes En Vivo, Univision NOW (United States); DAZN (Canada); BT Sport Live (United Kingdom); Sky Go Italia (Italy)

Other live viewing options can be found here, and as always, you can also follow along with us live and all the stupid things we say on Twitter. If you haven’t already, join the community on Black & White & Read All Over, and join in the discussion below.

Other live viewing options can be found here, and as always, you can also follow along with us live and all the stupid things we say on Twitter. If you haven’t already, join the community on Black & White & Read All Over, and join in the discussion below.