Juventus UEFA Champions League schedule: How Ronaldo's club got here and what to know
Juve faces off against Lyon on Aug. 7
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2 min read
Juventus' Champions League journey continues in August with the club behind the eight ball already. The Italian side will welcome Olympique Lyonnais to Northern Italy on Friday, Aug. 7 for their round of 16 second leg with Maurizio Sarri's team trailing after the first leg. With Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala in attack, on top of having one of the best defenses on paper, Juve's season success will ultimately be determined on how they do in Europe. Ahead of the match, here's what to know about the club:
Champions League titles
Juve has won the competition twice -- the first in 1985 and the most recent in 1996.
Status for next season's Champions League
Juve has officially qualified for the Champions League as it is guaranteed a top-four finish in Serie A.
Group stage results
| DATE | MATCHUP | VENUE | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|---|
Wed., Sept. 18 | Atletico Madrid 2, Juventus 2 | Wanda Metropolitano | Madrid |
Tue., Oct. 1 | Juventus 3, Bayer Leverkusen 0 | Juventus Stadium | Turin |
Tue., Oct. 22 | Juventus 2, Lokomotiv Moscow 1 | Juventus Stadium | Turin |
Wed., Nov. 6 | Lokomotiv Moscow 1, Juventus 2 | RZD Arena | Moscow |
Tue., Nov. 26 | Juventus 1, Atletico Madrid 0 | Juventus Stadium | Turin |
Wed., Dec. 11 | Bayer Leverkusen 0, Juventus 2 | BayArena | Leverkusen |
Knockout stage results
| ROUND | DATE | MATCHUP | TIME (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Round of 16 (Leg 1) | Wed., Feb 26 | FINAL | -- | |
Round of 16 (Leg 2) | Fri., Aug. 7 | Juventus vs. Lyon | 3 p.m. ET |
First-leg recap
A 31st-minute goal from Lucas Tousart was enough to give Lyon a 1-0 win in the first leg. Juve didn't play poorly but put two of its 17 shots on frame and just had one of those games where nothing was working. Without an away goal in the first leg, Juve now has to be extra careful in the second leg.
Team breakdown
Juve regularly plays a 4-3-3, but this club aims to get forward with plenty of attacking intent. The club likes to possess the ball, get its fullbacks forward and play to their strengths of Ronaldo and Dybala. Often viewed as the top defensive team in the world for years, Juve has shown some inconsistency in defense towards the end of the Serie A season. In a three-game stretch in July against Milan, Atalanta and Sassuolo, Juve conceded nine goals. The ability to create magic in attack means Juve is still the favorite to advance past Lyon, but will the defense show up?
Star player
Cristiano Ronaldo: The Portuguese superstar may be 35 years old, but he's not slowing down one bit. Ronaldo has 34 goals in 43 games for the club, including 30 in 31 Serie A matches. Though he isn't as fast as before, he is still quite fast but plays a bit more centrally. His ability in the air is as good as ever, and Juve will go as far as he takes them. Ronaldo has two UCL goals this season but has averaged double digits since 2011-12.
Match preview
Juve faces a must-win match against Lyon. If the Italian side fails to win, they will be eliminated from the competition. Because Juve failed to score in France in the first leg, conceding at home could mean trouble for Sarri's squad. If Juve wins this match 2-1, they would still be eliminated due to goal differential. The most realistic result would be winning 2-0 or 3-1, with both result being enough to advance.
On the other side, Lyon hasn't played much as of late but has a French Cup final set for the end of July against PSG. The coronavirus pandemic saw the season in France called off, meaning Lyon has mainly been training while Juve has played double-digit matches since June.
