Juventus v Chelsea: Champions League, Where to Watch Live, Preview and Teams

In the most exciting fixture of Matchday five of this season's UEFA Champions League, Chelsea travel to Turin to take on Group E opponents Juventus, in what could be shootout to earn a berth in the knockout stages of the competition.

Where to Watch Live

Kick-off is set for 7:45 pm GMT. Live coverage will be available on UTV, ITV 1 and Sky Sports Events Centre.

Overview

In what has become a thrilling three-horse battle for the two qualifying spots in Group E, this match could be the decider. Just one point separates Juventus from leaders Shakhtar Donetsk and Chelsea, meaning the group is open for the taking, with only one round of fixtures remaining after this.

Victory for Juventus in this tie would mean the Serie A champions then need just a draw on Matchday six to qualify, leaving Chelsea to rely on Shakhtar. Meanwhile, a win or even a draw for the Blues here would mean Roberto Di Matteo's side have their fate in their own hands, with an easy home game against the group's whipping boys Nordsjælland coming up.

Chelsea had a fantastic start to their season but their form dipped heavily after the October international break. The European champions have won just twice in their past seven games in all competitions and have also failed to win their last four league matches, losing twice, to drop from top spot into third place. The Blues come into this game after suffering a shock loss at West Bromwich Albion at the weekend, a heavy blow in their quest for the Premier League title.

Juventus, on the other hand, continue at the top of the Serie A table, four points clear of nearest rivals Inter Milan. The Old Lady of Turin recovered strongly after the home defeat to Inter earlier this month which ended their 49-match winning streak. They come into the game on the back of a 0-0 draw against Lazio at the Juventus Stadium.

The Bianconeri have won 12 of their last 20 meetings against English opposition, though they have triumphed only once in the previous six attempts. Meanwhile, Chelsea have only won only once in eight visits to Italy.

The Italians came back from two goals down to post a draw, when the two sides met at Stamford Bridge earlier in the campaign. The west London outfit are fully aware that a defeat in Turin could make them the first defending champions to crash out in the group stage in Champions League history.

Form Guide

Juventus

• Last five (all competitions, most recent first): D W W L W
• Last result: Juventus 0 - 0 Lazio

Chelsea

• Last five (all competitions, most recent first): L D W D W
• Last result: West Bromwich Albion 2 - 1 Chelsea

Team News

Juventus: The Bianconeri have a full-strength squad to choose from, with the exception of striker Mirko Vucinic, who has flu-like symptoms. The Montenegrin will have a late fitness test and if he fails to make it, one of Sebastian Giovinco, Alessandro Matri or Nicklas Bendtner will partner the in-form Fabio Quagliarella up front. Winger Simone Pepe has returned from injury, while full-back Paolo De Cegile could miss out with fitness issues.

Probable Starting Line-up (3-5-2): Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Marchisio, Pirlo, Vidal, Isla; Quagliarella, Giovinco

Chelsea: Captain John Terry and veteran Frank Lampard did not travel to Turin as they continue their recovery from injuries. However, Ashley Cole has returned from a hamstring problem. Fernando Torres was hauled off at West Brom after yet another poor performance and Di Matteo might start Daniel Sturridge up front instead. David Luiz also had a shocker at The Hawthorns and so Cesar Azpilicueta could come into the side replacing the Brazilian, with Branislav Ivanovic moving to the centre.

Probable Starting Line-up (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Luiz, Cole; Mikel, Ramires; Mata, Oscar, Hazard; Sturridge