UEFA Women’s Champions League preview: FC Bayern vs. Juventus
| Bayern hope to get back in track | Maja Hitij/Getty Images for DFB |
FC Bayern responded well to their 7-1 defeat in Barcelona with a hard-fought win over Wolfsburg in a top-of-the-table Frauen-Bundesliga clash. The domestic double winners will now hope to get their European campaign on track at home against Juventus.
The Turin-based club also won both their league and cup competitions last season, but they’re the only team yet to score in this season’s Serie A. After a goalless draw in Sassuolo in the opening weekend, Juventus succumbed to a late defeat at home to Como.
Juventus also went scoreless in three games against Bayern last season. A pre-season friendly ended goalless before Bayern beat their Italian counterpart by an aggregate score of 6-0 in the group stage of the Champions League.
However, they started the new Champions League format with a come-from-behind win over Benfica thanks to a brace from the center-back Cecilia Salvai. Serie A’s other representative AS Roma had a different experience with a 6-2 defeat to Real Madrid in what was a thoroughly successful matchday one for LaLiga clubs.
In contrast to Juventus’ domestic form, no opposition player scored a goal against FC Bayern in six matches of the Frauen-Bundesliga. Klara Bühl, who was criticized a lot for her post-match interview in Barcelona, has eight direct goal contributions in the league, in addition to scoring Bayern’s first goal of the Champions League campaign.
In their preparation for the game, Bayern were hit by the news that starting goalkeeper Ena Mahmutovic suffered an ankle injury. The 21-year-old will also miss Germany’s Nations League games as she will be on the sidelines for several weeks.
Maria Luisa Grohs, who made a successful comeback from a malignant tumor earlier this year, will start between the sticks. Bayern will also be without Vanessa Gilles, Jovana Damnjanović, Carolin Simon, Barbara Dunst, and Sarah Zadrazil.
Predicted Lineups:
FC Bayern: Grohs; Kett, Hansen, Eriksson, Gwinn; Caruso, Stanway ©; Harder, Tanikawa, Bühl; Schüller
Juventus: Peyraud-Magnin; Lenzini, Salvai, Harviken; Bonansea, Wälti, Pinto, Godø, Carbonell; Vangsgaard, Girelli ©
