With Porto chasing a 2-0 deficit in their Champions League round of 16 tie with Juventus, the Portuguese giants will have to come out aggressively in Turin hoping to catch their hosts off guard and unprepared — and they’ve definitely named a lineup set up to try to do just that.
Juventus vs. Porto lineups: Nuno names aggressive lineup
Porto will be hoping to catch Juventus off balance in Italy.
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With Oliver Torres, Yacine Brahimi, Andre Silva, and Tiquinho leading the attack, plus Andre Andre supporting them from midfield, this is about the quickest, most disruptive lineup Porto could have put onto the pitch, especially with Miguel Layun and Max Pereira racing up from the back line. They’re still going to have to work tremendously hard and get lucky to score the three goals they need without conceding if they’re going to advance, but this is the kind of lineup they need to use to get that done.
If there’s going to be any major opportunity for Porto to sneak in the goals they need, it’s going to be at least in part because Medhi Benatia is being pressed into service on Juventus’ back line. Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli are getting a much-needed rest, but Benatia has gotten only limited playing time this season, with just two starts and one appearance off the bench since the new year. He’s bound to be rusty, and if Porto can catch him out early in the match, they just might force the kind of opening they need.
Juventus starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Gianluigi Buffon; Dani Alves, Mehdi Benatia, Leonardo Bonucci, Alex Sandro; Sami Khedira, Claudio Marchisio; Juan Cuadrado, Paulo Dybala, Mario Mandzukic; Gonzalo Higuain
Porto starting lineup (4-4-2): Iker Casillas; Maximiliano Pereira, Felipe, Ivan Marcano, Miguel Layun; Oliver Torres, Danilo Pereira, Andre Andre, Yacine Brahimi; Tiquinho, Andre Silva
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