Juventus vs Fc Nantes lineups
Juventus hope to secure a place in the Europa League last 16 when they travel to Stade de la Beaujoire to face Nantes on Thursday night. This is a crucial match for Juve, and they must be at their best to win.
They will have to get much better from their midfield, as they were poor in their 1-1 draw with Lens last weekend. Locatelli was a weak link for the team, as he completed just 76% of his passes.
Team news
The second leg of the Europa League playoffs sees Juventus travel to Nantes on Thursday night. With a chance to qualify for next season’s Champions League, this is a pivotal game for Massimiliano Allegri’s side.
Juve will be without Paul Pogba (knee), Arkadiusz Milik (muscle), Fabio Miretti (ankle), and Kaio Jorge (tendon). The Bianconeri could also look at Federico Chiesa, who was not called up to the squad for last week’s 2-0 win over Spezia but could return in time for this trip.
Meanwhile, Nantes will be hoping to put the disappointment of a 3-1 defeat against Lens behind them and move on from their disappointing season. They are 13th in Ligue 1 but still have plenty of motivation for this game as they are trying to push on to the knockout stages of the Europa League.
Should Nantes pull off an upset against Juventus, it will be a big moment for French soccer. It will be one of the most memorable games at Stade de la Beaujoire in years, but it will also be an important boost for coach Antoine Kombouare.
Lineups
A resurgent Juventus look to continue its impressive run in the Europa League when they host Nantes on Thursday. The Italian club is unbeaten in their last five games, clinching four wins and keeping three clean sheets.
The Bianconeri also won their previous game in Serie A, a 2-0 win over Spezia. This result could prove crucial in the coming match against a side that has struggled on the road this season.
Manager Max Allegri will likely change the squad he fielded in the first leg. The Italian coach has some injury concerns, including Paul Pogba, Arkadiusz Milik, and Federico Chiesa.
Predictions
Juventus will look to take advantage of an improved mentality in Europe to beat Nantes and advance to the Europa League knockout stage. After a 15-point deduction in Serie A due to alleged financial irregularities, they’re 12 points adrift of the top four. This competition is their best chance of securing Champions League football next season.
Meanwhile, Nantes will look to bounce back after an impressive 1-1 draw at Turin last week. After going behind Dusan Vlahovic’s opener in the first leg, Nantes was able to pull level through Ludovic Blas, who has scored three goals and set up two others this season for the French side.
As a result, he is now the club’s leading scorer in the Europa League. He has also scored in his team’s previous two European matches against Olympiakos, and his talismanic attacking presence could prove to be a key factor against Juve.
Betting
Juventus are a team that always could score goals, and this will be no different as they host Ligue 1 side Nantes in Thursday’s Europa League second leg. However, it will be a much tougher test than the first leg, as Nantes is a well-rounded team that is not afraid to attack at any time.
As a result, Juventus will likely adopt a 3-5-2 formation with Wojciech Szczesny in goal and Danilo, Gleison Bremer, and Alex Sandro at the back. Meanwhile, Leonardo Bonucci could start for the first time in over two months.
While Juve has struggled in recent games, they have shown some resilience, and a solid defense has kept them in many of their recent matches. However, this match will be tough for the Italian giants, who will need to produce their best performances to win the game.
