Juventus will play against Malmo at the Swedbank Stadion on Wednesday night in the Champions League.
The Italian champions emerged victorious when both sides faced each other on matchday one of this year’s competition, as Carlos Tevez scored both goals in Juve’s 2-0 win against the Swedes.
The Bianconeri come into this game on the back of a 3-0 win against Lazio on Saturday night and they sit three points clear of second-placed Roma in the Serie A table.
The Himmelsblatt have not played a league match since they won the 2014 Swedish Allsvenskan, which concluded on November 1. Their recent matches include a 2-1 win against third-tier side IS Halmia in the Svenska Cupen on November 15, and they defeated Finnish team HJK Helsinki 4-0 on November 20 in a friendly.
In the previous round of Champions League action, Juventus emerged victorious over Olympiacos 3-2 in Turin, while Malmo lost 2-0 at home to Atletico Madrid.
The Bianconeri are equal second in Group A, having collected six points from four games, as have Olympiacos. The Himmelsblatt are bottom of the group with three points, but they are mathematically still in with a chance of qualification, especially if they can pull a shock win against the Italian champions, and the Greeks lose to Atletico.
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has ditched the 3-5-2 formation used by his predecessor Antonio Conte, and has implemented the 4-3-1-2 to great effect. Allegri has been using Roberto Pereyra in the trequartista role for Serie A games but Arturo Vidal is predicted to take up that role against the Swedes.
Malmo coach Age Hareide usually lines his team up in a standard 4-4-2 formation but he has used the 5-3-2 formation in some of the Himmelsblatt’s previous Champions Leagues fixtures and he will likely play with five at the back against the Bianconeri.
French full-back Patrice Evra is expected to return from a hamstring injury for Juventus, but Martin Caceres and Kwadwo Asamoah will still be sidelined.
Malmo are expected to welcome back Robin Olsen and Erik Johansson from thigh strains and Anton Tinnerholm will be returning from a calf injury.
Expected Starting XIs
Juventus (4-3-1-2): Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra; Marchisio, Pirlo, Pogba; Vidal; Tevez, Llorente
Malmo (5-3-2): Olsen; Timmerholm, Helander, Halsti, Johansson, Ricardinho; Eriksson, Adu, Forsber; Thelin, Rosenberg
