Ninety minutes to go.
The second version of the Champions League league part is all the way down to its last matchday. And simply as was the case 12 months in the past, we’re coming into a last day of the league part through which there shall be all 36 groups taking part in on the similar time and there’ll possible be loads of chaos and motion within the desk earlier than the 18th and last triple blast sounds on Matchday 8.
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That chaos component might very nicely be much more of the case this time round.
Why? As a result of the way in which the league part desk is presently look, with all of three factors separating Actual Madrid in third and Juventus in fifteenth, the potential for chaos appears somewhat excessive as golf equipment jockey for place one final time.
For Juventus, that last league part fixture comes within the Principality towards a Monaco aspect that’s hanging on for his or her Champions League life and enter Wednesday evening’s matchup sitting in twenty first place. For Monaco, a optimistic consequence possible means they’ll sneak into the play-off spherical, however a loss just about leaves their destiny in Europe to what the opposite groups round them — together with our previous buddy Antonio Conte and Napoli down in twenty fifth — throughout the course of the ultimate matchday. However with regards to Luciano Spalletti and Juve, they could already be within the knockout part, however there’s the possibility for 3 extra factors — and if that does occur, then the possibility to maneuver even additional up the league part desk with their fourth consecutive win could be very a lot a risk.
There’s simply the truth that Juventus have an opportunity at being one of many high seeds within the play-off spherical — or possibly much more than that — was one thing that didn’t precisely really feel all that doable when Spalletti took over on the finish of October and noticed his new membership play to a draw towards Sporting a couple of days later.
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However what has occurred over the subsequent two-plus months has performed an enormous purpose as to why Juve are the place they’re within the Champions League desk now.
Juventus’ three European wins underneath Spalletti have been very totally different sorts of victories. They needed to do a wild second-half comeback towards Bodø/Glimt. They then had to make use of what felt like all of their persistence doable to see off Pafos. Then, this previous week, they obtained a stable if not unspectacular 2-0 win over Benfica to clinch a spot within the knockout rounds. They’ve come in numerous methods, however Juve are nonetheless getting wins in Europe — which is one thing that wasn’t occurring throughout the first half of the league part schedule underneath Igor Tudor.
So now, as we head into the ultimate 90 minutes of stated UCL league part, it’s the hope that yet another time three factors may be earned as you let the mud settle elsewhere with all people taking part in without delay.
Monaco enter Wednesday evening’s league part finale with health considerations up and down the roster. That’s very true in protection for supervisor Sébastien Pocognoli, who changed took over in mid-October following Monaco’s turbulent begin to the 2025-26 season. They’re coming off a 6-1 thrashing by the hands of Actual Madrid, a consequence that ended Monaco’s five-game unbeaten run within the Champions League.
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However, it bears repeating: Monaco are hanging on for his or her European lives on Wednesday evening. Any kind of slip-up and so they might very nicely be slipping even additional down the desk and doubtlessly out of the competitors completely.
It’s been almost a decade since Juventus and Monaco final performed. These had been significantly better days within the Champions League, with the 2017 matchup being what proved to be a head-to-head tie that Juve gained to make their second last underneath Max Allegri in three years.
This time round, Spalletti is simply making an attempt to get yet another win out of this workforce within the league part and hope for the most effective potential end within the desk due to it. Simply as was the case over the weekend, Spalletti’s squad shall be going through a workforce that’s extraordinarily short-handed as a result of accidents, and taking full benefit of that shall be an enormous factor for a workforce that’s trying prefer it’s heading in the right direction heading into a vital February.
TEAM NEWS
Three gamers are out injured for Juventus’ journey to Monaco: Dusan Vlahovic, Daniele Rugani and Arek Milik.
Spalletti stated at his pre-match press convention that there shall be adjustments within the beginning lineup. He didn’t say how a lot rotation there shall be, however there shall be some, he famous. He did point out two names who will definitely be coming into the beginning lineup: Teun Koopmeiners — who was alongside Spalletti on the press convention — and Loïs Openda.
Throughout his pre-match press convention, Spalletti famous that Gleison Bremer has performed fairly a bit since returned from harm final month. What which means for his standing within the beginning lineup towards Monaco stays to be seen, nevertheless it actually is one thing that Spalletti is conscious of with regards to his finest defender.
Regardless of the successful development persevering with over the weekend, Spalletti continued to hammer the truth that he seems like this Juventus squad nonetheless has room for enchancment as they enter their last fixture of January.
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JUVENTUS PLAYER TO WATCH
Spalletti, in a uncommon occurence since he took over as Juventus supervisor, tipped his hand when it got here to a few his beginning lineup decisions.
So, with that little present offered to us, we are going to speak about a type of gamers who shall be coming again into the beginning lineup. (Shocking, ain’t it?!?!)
The final time we heard something Spalletti and Openda associated, it was the “pat” on the examine heard round Italy earlier than the Belgian ahead got here on as an alternative towards Benfica. It’s at some extent within the season that Jonathan David has grow to be Spalletti’s most well-liked alternative up entrance, with Openda’s final begin coming a month in the past on Dec. 27 towards Pisa. Since then, David has scored in a number of video games whereas Openda has failed to duplicate the type of efficiency he had when he was on the scoresheet towards Roma on Dec. 20.
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However, as Spalletti clearly stated, that is going to be Openda’s evening to make one thing occur up entrance.
And in true “Spalletti additionally seems like a dad” type of style, that is what he needed to say about Openda throughout the pre-match press convention on Tuesday:
“He has this good boy persona that for my part limits him somewhat bit. He feels the stress, many issues get to him, he struggles to loosen up into the sport. I believe, giving him the precise house, eventually he’ll resolve these difficulties that he has. And tomorrow could be the time he will get that house.”
That “proper type of house” remark is what could possibly be used to Juventus’ benefit. Monaco have to get a win to make sure that they’re within the Champions League play-off spherical. They may certainly try to push for targets as a result of they’ve obtained so many absences in protection and have truly created a good quantity of possibilities throughout their different matchups within the league part. However with regards to a state of affairs the place you realize a win is the one factor that ensures you’re not watching the remainder of this season’s Champions League from house, that may open up loads of areas in your opponent to run into.
Enter Openda and his velocity. , similar to we noticed towards Roma final month.
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That’s the place Openda has the possibility to excel greater than David as a result of he’s merely way more of that type of ahead. How Spalletti performs will probably be attention-grabbing to see as a result of the Roma win is usually a prime instance of what issues can seem like when the techniques are extra to Openda’s profile — after which all of it works.
MATCH INFO
When: Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026.
The place: Stade Louis II, Principality of Monaco.
Official kickoff time: 9 p.m. native time in 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: Sky Sport Uno, Sky Sport 252 (Italy).
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On-line/Streaming: (United States); DAZN Canada; fuboTV Canada (Canada); Disocvery+ (United Kingdom); Sky Go Italia (Italy).
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