Brimming with confidence after a derby win in opposition to Milan final weekend, Juventus head into the penultimate spherical of the UEFA Champions League first section in excessive spirits. Thiago Motta’s prices journey to the Jan Breydel Stadium to tackle Belgian champions Membership Brugge in a must-win fixture.
Samuel Mbangula and Tim Weah impressed a second-half blitz, serving to Juventus avenge a heartbreaking Supercoppa Italiana exit and seize their first Serie A win in 2025. After placing an underwhelming run of three consecutive league attracts to mattress, the Turin giants resume their continental duties with renewed optimism.
Juventus surprised perennial Premier League champions Manchester Metropolis 2-0 of their final Champions League outing, courtesy of second-half strikes from Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie. In doing so, Motta’s males have closed the hole on eighth-placed Lille to solely two factors with two video games to go.
As such, something apart from victory in Bruges would successfully rule Juventus out of the race for automated knockout qualification. Nevertheless, the hosts is not going to go down with no struggle as they boast a three-point lead on Twenty fifth-placed Paris Saint-Germain following a spirited 2-1 house triumph in opposition to Sporting CP final day out.
Beating Juventus would seal Membership Brugge’s playoff berth. Nicky Hayen’s lads head into proceedings in a buoyant temper after a 4-2 house win in opposition to home rivals Beerschot VA prolonged their successful streak in all competitions to 5 matches.
Match Preview
Membership Brugge
These 5 victories type half of a bigger 18-game unbeaten run in aggressive motion (W15, D3), setting the Belgians up properly for this high-stakes fixture. Nevertheless, they have to rewrite historical past to make it 19 in a row, contemplating they continue to be the final Belgian facet to beat Italian opposition within the Champions League, attaining that feat in opposition to Milan in 2003.
Milan repaid that kindness on this season’s league section, demolishing Membership Brugge 3-1 on the San Siro. That’s one in every of their two European defeats this time period (W3, D1), but confidence stems from their house resurgence. Following a 3-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Gameweek 1, Hayen’s males have received back-to-back house matches at Europe’s prime desk.
Aston Villa and Sporting fell sufferer to Brugge’s return to type, with each wins yielding a slender one-goal margin. One other success would doubtless warrant a low-scoring contest, contemplating the Belgian giants lament the worst scoring report within the present prime 24 with a mere six objectives.
In opposition to this backdrop, they’ve netted not less than two of their final eight outings at Jan Breydel.
Juventus
Juventus’ win in opposition to Pep Guardiola’s facet halted their unenviable three-game winless run within the Champions League (D2, L1), eclipsing their scoring tally from these three matches. Furthermore, they’ve saved a clear sheet in back-to-back European fixtures, growing the chance of shutting out Brugge’s uneventful frontline.
Motta breathed a sigh of reduction final Saturday because the win in opposition to Milan arrested his facet’s four-game winless streak in all competitions (D3, L1). Certainly, it’s been a season of stalemates for Juventus, whose 62% of Serie A matches have ended all sq.. Moreover, six of their final seven away video games have completed stage (W1).
That sequence consists of attracts in opposition to Aston Villa and Lille on this competitors, with Juventus failing to attain from open play on each events. Nevertheless, the record-time Italian champions have damaged the impasse of their final 4 aggressive outings on the street, highlighting the potential for a quick-fire begin.
Workforce Information
Membership Brugge have undergone some personnel modifications in January. Other than promoting star winger Andreas Skov Olsen to Wolfsburg, they launched Philip Zinckernagel, Dedryck Boyata, and Kamal Sowah. Defender Zaid Romero is the one absentee from the present crop.
As for Juventus, long-term absentees Arkadiusz Milik, Juan Cabal, and Gleison Bremer stay unavailable for choice. Kenan Yildiz picked up a minor harm in opposition to Milan and will give up his place within the beginning XI to Francisco Conceicao, who’s on the verge of returning to the squad.
Membership Brugge vs Juventus Potential Beginning Line-ups
Membership Brugge (6-3-1): Mignolet; Sabbe, Ordonez, Mechele, De Cuyper; Onyedika, Jashari; Vetlesen, Vanaken, Skoras; Jutgla.
Membership Brugge vs Juventus Prediction
Juventus have solely received back-to-back matches 3 times this season, underscoring a infamous lack of consistency underneath Motta. Regardless of not shedding away from house since April 2024, ten of their 15 street journeys in that sequence have ended stage (D5). Due to this fact, a share of the spoils wouldn’t shock us.
