The Australian leg of the International Champions Cup is kicking off on Saturday, with Juventus playing against the Melbourne Victory at the famous Melbourne Cricket Grounds. Juventus are a team that needs no introduction -- they’ve won five straight Serie A titles, were in the Champions League final two seasons ago, and are one of the best teams in Europe.
Juventus vs. Melbourne Victory 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch International Champions Cup online
Juventus take on the Melbourne Victory as they get their International Champions Cup run underway.
Robert Prezioso/Getty Images
Many fans won’t be as familiar with Melbourne because of the relative obscurity of the Australian A-League, but that doesn’t mean they’re not a talented team. In point of fact, they’re one of Australia’s powers -- only one other team has won as many A-League Finals Series titles, and no one has won more in the regular season. They’ve also won an A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup and an FFA Cup, making them the only Australian team to win all four titles. That’s an impressive feat, and they’re a team to be taken seriously because of it.
Key player -- Miralem Pjanic
Juventus' biggest signing of the summer so far is one who promises to bring an improved creative edge to their midfield, so seeing how well he's gelling with his new teammates at this early stage of the preseason will be important. He's going to be important to Juventus' success no matter what happens this summer, but if Paul Pogba leaves -- well, he's going to be much, much more important. Juve fans will be hoping that Pjanic sparkles, but really all we need to see for reasons to hope is him showing good chemistry and instincts with his new teammates.
What to watch for
Juventus are without many of their usual starters, with Gianluigi Buffon, Paul Pogba, Sami Khedira, Leonardo Bonucci and others all on vacation after Euro 2016, resting up before joining the club. Their depth is going to be more important than ever this season, so seeing how their reserve players perform, even against a side they should still outclass with ease, will be of great interest to Juventus fans.
Match Date/Time: Saturday, 5 a.m. ET, 7 p.m. local
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia
TV: ESPN2 (U.S. - English), ESPN Deportes (U.S. - Spanish), PremiumSport 2 (Italy), Nine Network (Australia)
Online: WatchESPN (U.S.)
See More:
