It doesn’t matter what form Inter Milan have been in, it doesn’t matter what form AC Milan have been in, irrespective of who else was on the schedule — Juventus’ journey to the Santiago Bernabéu to face Actual Madrid was all the time going to be the largest take a look at of the primary two months of the 2025-26 season. It didn’t matter what sort of form Juventus would have been in, too, as a result of everytime you see Actual Madrid on the schedule, you already know that’s one of many first you circle as one of many greatest fixtures there will probably be.
That was two months in the past when didn’t know for certain simply what sort of form Juve could be in.
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We do know — and it’s not nice.
All of a few days faraway from their first lack of the season, Juventus now look to select up the items in opposition to one of many favorites to win the entire rattling Champions League come the springtime. That’s removed from a mushy touchdown after a troublesome efficiency and outcome only a few days earlier. As a substitute, it’s one other big-time matchup thatIgor Tudor’s squad should face within the opening two months of the season — a subject that was an enormous speaking level throughout his pre-match press convention forward of kickoff within the Spanish capital on Wednesday night time. However the truth that Juve head to Madrid to face a staff nonetheless very a lot within the early phases of Xabi Alonso’s huge mission on the membership he used to play for again within the early 2010s.
It’s a matchup we’ve seen comparatively lately when the 2 groups matched up within the Membership World Cup, a recreation through which Juventus in the end confirmed that they have been the second-best staff on the sphere in comparison with the staff clad of their traditional all-white adidas package. Even then, it was onerous to how good Actual Madrid may very well be down the street contemplating it was nonetheless so early in Alonso’s tenure as their new supervisor following Don Carlo’s exit to Brazil.
Once they meet on Wednesday night time, we all know Juventus will probably be shorthanded and with out arguably their finest participant in Gleison Bremer on high of the act they’re not taking part in nicely in any respect. It’s a state of affairs the place Juve, primarily based solely depending on their type, catch Actual Madrid at one of many worst occasions you may.
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At his pre-match press convention, Tudor mentioned “I anticipate a giant response, as a result of taking part in right here in Madrid ought to inspire the gamers.” Which may be true. We might very nicely see a Juventus facet that was higher than the one from this previous weekend in opposition to Como. Possibly Kenan Yildiz — who might very nicely be carrying the captain’s armband on the Bernabéu primarily based on some predicted lineups going round on Tuesday night time — does one in every of his huge and heroic Champions League performances like we’ve seen by means of the early elements of his profession. Possibly, it’s onerous to really say with the place Juve are at the moment at — they’re a staff that’s with out their finest participant, with none kind of constructive type and looking out like a staff which will nicely have a brand new supervisor in a few video games if issues proceed to go poorly.
It’s simply not possible to flee how Juve have appeared ever since they received three straight video games to open the brand new Serie A season. It’s been six video games with 5 of these being attracts and now a loss through which Juve solely appeared to look worse because the second half went on in opposition to Como.
Juventus might shock us. They might put ahead a second half like they did in opposition to Villarreal … minus the entire game-tying objective in stoppage. It’s not possible to know what sort of Juventus will truly present up apart from one which will probably be a reasonably large underdog in opposition to a Actual Madrid staff that is without doubt one of the few groups to win their first two UCL league section fixtures this season.
And what about Juve?
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Nicely, there’s a legit shot that they’re going to be sitting on two factors after the primary three video games on this season’s league section. They’re sitting in twenty fourth after Tuesday night time’s fixtures. For many who haven’t finished the fast math, that’s the ultimate place to qualify for the play-off spherical come the brand new 12 months. That’s a spot you don’t wish to be — particularly early on as others are beginning to accumulate factors when you’re doing the other.
Wednesday night time looks like an defining form of night time for Juventus in each an excellent or a nasty approach. These previous few hundred phrases most likely have you ever considering will probably be the dangerous. Possibly you’re considering the identical factor, too. However Juventus have rather a lot on the road in opposition to Actual Madrid — and it’s most likely greater than only a huge European night time at probably the most well-known stadiums on the earth.
TEAM NEWS
Juventus have recovered a pair of gamers after they missed out on the primary recreation again from the worldwide break over the weekend: Edon Zhegrova and Fabio Miretti. (Whereas neither could have many minutes of their legs, seeing how skinny the bench was in opposition to Como, will probably be good to at the least have a few different choices out there.)
Meaning the gamers who’re out in opposition to Actual Madrid are: Gleison Bremer and Juan Cabal. (Keep in mind, Arek Milik isn’t a part of Juventus’ Champions League roster for the league section.)
Nevertheless, similar to over the weekend, Pinsoglio has made the journey with the remainder of the staff. He’s not letting some crutches cease him from being along with his teammates throughout these worrisome occasions.
Tudor did say at his pre-match press convention that may return to operating actions originally of subsequent week following his hamstring damage suffered within the first half in opposition to Villarreal.
In the case of how Tudor is feeling regardless that there’s loads of rumors swirling about his future, the 47-year-old Croatian mentioned: “I’ve no issues. I’m serene. I really feel motivated to go forward.”
He additionally mentioned he doesn’t learn what the Italian press has to say about Juventus win, lose or draw.
There wasn’t an excessive amount of from Tudor when it got here to staff information at his pre-match press convention. It very a lot felt like Tudor’s State of Juventus handle greater than something as he comes below hearth for Juve’s six-game winless run.
JUVENTUS PLAYER TO WATCH
You have a look at Juventus’ protection. Then you definately have a look at Actual Madrid’s assault. You look again at Juventus’ protection … after which most likely get some kind of anxiousness constructing in your chest and a few dangerous ideas effervescent up.
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There’s a number of the finest gamers on the earth in a single jersey … after which there’s Juve’s protection.
So, naturally, it solely is smart to speak about a type of guys who will probably be tasked with making an attempt to decelerate Actual Madrid’s vaunted entrance line. (Who is aware of if he can truly come near doing so …)
By means of Juventus’ first two Champions League video games this season, Daniele Rugani has barely performed any substantial quantity of minutes. The unlucky reality in it’s that Rugani’s first European look with Juventus in years got here within the ill-fated 2-2 draw in opposition to Villarreal through which he was a late-game sub to attempt to lock issues up. That, as you most likely bear in mind, didn’t occur.
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So now Rugani enters Juventus’ return to Spain all of three weeks later now a a lot larger participant in protection due to Bremer’s newest knee damage that may have him out for at the least six or eight weeks. Rugani is anticipated to be a part of the three-man backline that Tudor will virtually actually revert again to after going to considerably of a four-man protection over the weekend in opposition to Como. (And everyone knows how that turned out.)
Rugani, contemporary off , will probably be one of many Juve defenders tasked with making an attempt to stop Actual Madrid’s star-studded assault from hitting full flight. The probability of Juventus doing that doesn’t precisely appear all that prime contemplating how the protection has appeared within the handful of video games through which Bremer hasn’t performed on this season.
Then once more, you would say the identical factor about Federico Gatti and Lloyd Kelly, too. The present state of Juventus’ Bremer-less protection isn’t encouraging — and particularly so after they’re about to face Actual Madrid.
For higher or worse, although, we all know what we’re going to get from Rugani at this level of his profession. He most likely sin’t going to place in a spectacular form of defensive effort and nonetheless he performs received’t have you ever feeling like he is likely to be the way forward for the Juve protection like a decade in the past. He’s going to place in a Rugani-esque shift. There will probably be some good, there’ll most likely be some dangerous. That is what we find out about him. It’s nearly limiting the dangerous and never having it lead to Michele Di Gregorio having to select the ball out of his web a number of seconds later.
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MATCH INFO
When: Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025.
The place: Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain.
Official kickoff time: 9 p.m. native time in Spain, Italy and throughout Europe, 8 p.m. in the UK, 3 p.m. Japanese time, 2 p.m. Central time, 12 p.m. Pacific time.
HOW TO WATCH
Tv: TNT Sports activities 5 (United Kingdom).
On-line/Streaming: , CBS Sports activities Golazo Community, DAZN USA, Amazon Prime Video (United States); DAZN Canada; Amazon Prime Video (Canada); DAZN UK (United Kingdom); Amazon Prime Video (Italy).
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