Club Brugge and Juventus are very close to securing a spot in the next round of the 2024-25 Champions League and will be aiming to avoid any slip-ups at this crucial stage of the Group Phase.
Team news
Club Brugge have received a boost with the return of right-back Joaquin Seys, who was sidelined for a month due to a hamstring injury.
Hugo Vetlesen is set to take the place of Andreas Skov Olsen, who recently moved to Wolfsburg.
Juventus manager Thiago Motta is concerned about the fitness of Weston McKennie and Kenan Yildiz, both of whom picked up knocks in their 2-0 victory over AC Milan last weekend.
Motta is already without a trio of defenders — Juan Cabal, Danilo, and Bremer — as well as midfielder Francisco Conceicao.
The stats
Brugge are on an 18-game unbeaten streak across all competitions and have suffered only one defeat in their last 12 home European matches.
Nicky Hayen's team have won their last five games and have scored at least two goals in each of their past 11 matches.
Brugge are the top scorers in Belgium, finding the back of the net 51 times in 22 games.
Juventus currently sit fifth in Serie A but remain the only unbeaten team in the league. They have won eight matches and drawn 13 out of their 21 league games.
Motta's side have not lost an away game since a 2-1 defeat to Lazio in the Coppa Italia last April.
Prediction
This match comes at a tricky time for Juventus, just three days after their intense clash against AC Milan (which they won 2-0) and four days before their visit to league leaders Napoli.
With several key players dealing with injuries and their place in the next round almost secure with 11 points, this game could turn out to be a cautious affair.
Club Brugge cannot afford to take unnecessary risks as they face a challenging trip to Manchester City in their final Group Phase match. A draw would likely be acceptable for them, taking them to 11 points and securing a spot in the play-offs.
The Belgian side has been in superb form, remaining unbeaten in 18 games so far this season.
Despite being held to a 3-1 defeat at AC Milan where they played with 10 men for over an hour, Brugge have shown quality victories over Aston Villa and Sporting Lisbon.
Juventus have been the draw specialists in Serie A this season, with 13 draws in 21 league games. They have also drawn their last two Champions League away matches against Villa and Lille.
With so much at stake in this crucial stage of the competition, it's likely to be a tight contest ending in a draw.