On Tuesday evening, Juventus will look to continue their flawless Champions League campaign as they host Stuttgart for the first time. Fresh off a victory in Leipzig, Juve will welcome another German challenge at home, while Stuttgart arrive with only a single point from their opening two matches.Juventus showcased remarkable resilience in their recent 3-2 win over RB Leipzig, overturning the odds despite playing with 10 men. Dusan Vlahovic was the hero of the night, scoring twice to equalize after goals from Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko. The match turned dramatically after goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio was sent off, but substitute Francisco Conceicao delivered a late winner to secure back-to-back wins for the Bianconeri, following a 3-1 triumph over PSV Eindhoven.Manager Thiago Motta has the chance to make history, as he could become only the third Juventus coach — after the legendary Fabio Capello and Marcelo Lippi—to win his first three Champions League games. Since the final days of Max Allegri’s tenure, which ended with a Coppa Italia victory, Juventus are unbeaten in 16 matches across all competitions. Over the weekend, they clinched a late 1-0 win over 10-man Lazio, briefly reclaiming the Serie A lead and snapping a three-game winless streak at home.The three-lettered clash: French and Dutch champions collideAs they prepare to face Inter Milan in the Derby d’Italia on Sunday, Juventus first need to handle a Stuttgart side already five points behind them in the Champions League standings.Stuttgart’s history against Italian clubs doesn’t favor them, with just one win in 11 encounters — the last coming against Torino in 1979’s UEFA Cup. Now, they face Italy’s most decorated club while languishing near the bottom of their Champions League group. After a narrow defeat to Real Madrid and a frustrating 1-1 draw with Sparta Prague, where Enzo Millot’s header put them ahead, Stuttgart conceded a late equalizer, missing several opportunities to seal the win.Despite dominating possession — ranking only behind Bayern Munich and Manchester City in average possession (65%) — Stuttgart couldn’t capitalize. They held a remarkable 76.5% possession against Sparta, the highest in the competition so far, yet still couldn’t clinch the three points.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Their domestic form has also taken a hit. After a heavy 4-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, Stuttgart are now on a four-match winless streak. Their Champions League struggles stretch back further, with just three wins in their last 19 matches in the competition.Juventus will face Stuttgart without several key players. Long-term injuries continue to sideline Bremer and Arkadiusz Milik, while recent signings Teun Koopmeiners (rib) and Nico Gonzalez (thigh) are also unavailable. Michele Di Gregorio’s suspension adds to their troubles, although Weston McKennie could return from a minor injury, and Conceicao is eligible after serving a domestic ban. Juventus continue to integrate young talent, with Nicolo Savona and Kenan Yildiz making regular appearances. Yildiz is likely to support Dusan Vlahovic, who has either scored or assisted in his last three Champions League games — a streak not seen since Cristiano Ronaldo’s time at the club.Probable Juventus starting XI v Stuttgart. [@skysports] pic.twitter.com/usKBJd35A4— Juventus News Live (@juvenewslive) October 21, 2024 For Stuttgart, the attacking line will feature Jamie Leweling, who recently netted the winner on his Germany debut but has yet to score in the Champions League despite eight attempts, the joint-most shots without a goal this season. He’ll join forces with Deniz Undav and Enzo Millot behind striker Ermedin Demirovic, who has scored five Bundesliga goals so far.Stuttgart are also grappling with several injuries. They will be without Chris Fuhrich (adductor), Dan-Axel Zagadou (knee), Justin Diehl (shoulder), Leonidas Stergiou (back), and Nikolas Nartey (knee) for the trip to Turin.As Juventus aim to maintain their winning streak and Stuttgart search for their first Champions League victory, this matchup has all the makings of a pivotal contest in the group stage.UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – ROUND 3Tuesday19:45: (1.45) AC Milan (4.40) Club Brugge (7.25)19:45: (1.40) Monaco (5.30) Crvena Zvezda (8.00)22:00: (1.10) Arsenal (11.0) Shakhtar (18.0)22:00: (1.62) Aston Villa (3.80) Bologna (5.80)22:00: (1.20) Girona (8.00) Slovan B. (14.0)22:00: (1.87) Juventus (3.50) Stuttgart (4.20)22:00: (1.45) PSG (4.50) PSV (7.00)22:00: (1.50) Real Madrid (4.40) Dortmund (6.50)22:00: (8.00) Sturm (4.70) Sporting (1.40)Wednesday19:45: (1.45) Atalanta (4.50) Celtic (7.00)19:45: (6.25) Brest (4.70) Leverkusen (1.48)22:00: (1.53) Atl.Madrid (4.00) Lille (6.75)22:00: (2.40) Barcelona (3.60) Bayern (2.80)22:00: (1.62) Benfica (3.90) Feyenoord (5.60)22:00: (1.07) Man.City (13.0) Sparta Praha (25.0)22:00: (4.00) RB Leipzig (3.60) Liverpool (1.90)22:00: (1.75) Salzburg (3.60) Dinamo Zagreb (4.90)22:00: (8.00) Young Boys (4.70) Inter Milan (1.40)***odds are subject to change***
