Juventus are heavily favored to defeat UAE team Al Ain in a Group G match at the Club World Cup at Audi Field, Washington DC.
Igor Tudor's squad arrived in the USA after a lackluster 2024-25 season and they are not underestimating their opponents from the Gulf, who have been in good form recently.
Team news
Soufiane Rahimi, who was the MVP and top scorer when Al Ain won the AFC Champions League last year, is the key player for the UAE team.
Defender Khalid Al-Hashemi's availability is uncertain as he arrived in the US late after his wedding.
Juventus will be without injured players Bremer and Arkadiusz Milik in the starting lineup, but they have traveled with the team. Manuel Locatelli is also doubtful for the match. On a positive note, Daniele Rugani and Filip Kostic have returned from loan spells and are available for selection.
The stats
Al Ain finished the season with a seven-game unbeaten streak to secure a fifth-place finish in the UAE Pro League. They kept clean sheets in six of those matches.
Juventus won only 18 Serie A games last season, their lowest total since 2010-11.
Under manager Igor Tudor, Juventus played in seven matches with fewer than three goals scored out of nine total.
Prediction
Juventus had a disappointing season, with mixed feelings about the appointment of Igor Tudor as their manager.
The Croatian, who had a lengthy playing career with Juventus, took over from Thiago Motta in March with the aim of securing a top-four finish.
Despite criticism of his tactics, Tudor managed to achieve the goal on the final day with a 3-2 win against Venezia and has since extended his contract until 2028.
Juve's style of play was often criticized, with a high number of drawn matches and a poor performance in the UEFA Champions League against PSV.
Supporters of the team are eager for a more positive outcome and a comfortable victory over Al Ain is expected, although it may not be a straightforward task.
Juventus are the clear favorites against Al Ain, who have had managerial changes and finished the season well under Vladimir Ivic.
However, the quality gap between the two teams is significant, with Juventus expected to dominate possession and secure a victory, but perhaps without dazzling performances.
A clean sheet win for Juventus is likely, with a 2-0 scoreline being a plausible bet for the match.