Juve host City eager to avoid last-day decider

• Massimiliano Allegri confident Juve are on right track after slow start to season
• City suffered "complete disaster" of 4-1 home defeat by Liverpool on Saturday
• Juventus have lost just one of last ten in all competitions
• Juve will qualify with win; City already through and will top group with victory
• City press conference scheduled for 19.15CET
  

Possible lineups
Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Sturaro, Marchisio, Pogba, Alex Sandro; Dybala (Mandžukić), Morata.
Out: Cáceres (thigh), Khedira (thigh), Hernanes (suspended), Pereyra (thigh)
Doubtful: Evra (thigh)

Manchester City: Hart; Sagna, Otamendi, Demichelis, Kolarov; Fernandinho, Fernando; Navas, Touré, Sterling; Agüero.
Out: Bony (hamstring), Nasri (hamstring), Silva (ankle), Kompany (calf), Mangala (unspecified), Zabaleta (knee)

Massimiliano Allegri, Juventus coach
It's an important game that could determine who tops the group. We've got to aim to win as it's the only result that guarantees us qualification. If we don't get a win then we'll be reliant on Sevilla's game at Borussia Mönchengladbach. But we've got to look to play 95 minutes, aware that we're up against one of the strongest sides in Europe.

Our three successive league wins show progress. We had ten new players arrive in the summer and you need time for them to settle – it's normal that we've dropped a few points along the way in the league. We've not done anything in the Champions League yet, and we've still got a battle with Sevilla to come. It's all wide open.

Manuel Pellegrini, Manchester City manager
It's very important to qualify for the third time in a row – and this year it's important to be top of the group. It's a test for us tomorrow to try to win in a difficult stadium, to win the group and to beat [Juventus] here because I think we were unlucky when we lost the first game [2-1] in our stadium.

First and foremost we need to play in Europe the same way we did against Sevilla [winning 3-1 in Spain on matchday four]. We didn't allow them many chances, but more than that we played the same way we do normally in the Premier League, with a lot of possession and a lot of chances.

Many people have criticised us in the Champions League and it is important that we have an achievement – we did this in qualifying [for the knockout stage] for three years. The most difficult thing tomorrow is the quality of the players that Juventus have. They have a very strong squad, which is why they reached the final last year. We will find a team who want to qualify in first position in the group, but they will find a Manchester City who will fight and give them a game.

Weekend results
Juventus 1-0 Milan (Dybala 65)
Juventus moved above their opponents into sixth in Serie A after this, their third consecutive league victory.

Manchester City 1-4 Liverpool (Agüero 44; Mangala og 7, Coutinho 23, Firmino 32, Škrtel 81)
The only positive for Pellegrini was the scoring return of Sergio Agüero, making his first appearance since sustaining a hamstring injury playing for Argentina on 8 October. City slipped from first to third in the Premier League.

Sergio Agüero is back for City©Getty Images

Form guide (all competitions, most recent first)
Juventus: WWDWLW
Manchester City: LDWWWD

Reporter's view: Paolo Menicucci (@UEFAcomPaoloM)
City are already qualified, Juve are nearly there – indeed the Bianconeri will even advance with a defeat if Sevilla fail to win at Mönchengladbach. Still I expect both teams to fight for theree points in this prestigious game in Turin. City will be eager to respond in style from the 4-1 weekend defeat, while Juve will want to continue their progress after winning – not always convincingly – their last three Serie A matches. Plus there is the small matter of topping the group ahead of the last-16 draw.

Did you know?
The clubs played out two 1-1 draws in the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League group stage. City ended up as pool winners; Juventus finished third after six draws. Our match background has the details and more.