Juventus v Leverkusen facts

Juventus missed the chance to kick off the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League with a notable win and now take on Bayer Leverkusen, who are also playing catch-up in Group D.

• Maurizio Sarri's European debut as Juve coach looked set to get off to a victorious start as his new side established a 2-0 lead at Atlético Madrid on matchday one, but the home team hit back late on to earn a draw. Leverkusen must overcome their own disappointment having gone down 2-1 at home to Lokomotiv Moskva, although the German club have not found Italy a happy hunting ground over the years.

Previous meetings
• The sides' only past fixtures came in the second group stage of the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League, when David Trezeguet's two goals and one each from Alessandro Del Piero and Igor Tudor helped Juve to a 4-0 victory in Turin.

• Leverkusen turned the tables with a 3-1 home success thanks to a penalty from goalkeeper Hans-Jörg Butt, plus further goals from Thomas Brdarić and Marko Babić, and went on to finish first in the section – ultimately reaching the final. Juve were eliminated in fourth place.

Form guide
Juventus
• Second-half goals from Juan Cuadrado and Blaise Matuidi seemed to have given Juve three points at Atlético on matchday one, but two strikes in the final 20 minutes pulled the Spanish side level and made it one win in six UEFA Champions League matches for Juve (D2 L3).

• In 2018/19, under Massimiliano Allegri, Juve finished first in Group H ahead of Manchester United, Valencia and Young Boys, picking up 12 points. After turning round their tie against Atlético in the round of 16 (0-2 a, 3-0 h), they drew 1-1 at Ajax in the first leg of their quarter-final only to bow out following a 2-1 home defeat.

• Juventus won three of their five home games in last season's UEFA Champions League, beating Young Boys (3-0) and Valencia (1-0) in the group stage and Atlético in the last 16, but lost the other two matches, against Manchester United on matchday four and Ajax in the quarter-final second leg (both 1-2). It is the only time Juventus have ever lost more than one home game in a European campaign.

• Before losing to Real Madrid in the 2017/18 quarter-finals first leg (0-3), Juve were unbeaten in 27 home matches in UEFA competition (W16 D11), dating back to a 2-0 reverse against Bayern München in April 2013. They have still lost only four of their 38 European matches at the Juventus Stadium (W22 D12), although three of those defeats have come in their last six matches.

• Champions of Italy for a record eighth season in a row in 2018/19, this is Juve's 20th UEFA Champions League campaign; they have reached the last 16 or better in 16 of the previous 19.

• Juve are without a win in their last four matches against German clubs (D3 L1), since a 3-0 success at Borussia Dortmund in the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg (5-1 aggregate).

• The Bianconeri have won only one of their last five matches against German visitors in Turin (D2 L2), most recently drawing 2-2 against Bayern München in the 2015/16 UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg; the second leg ended in a 4-2 extra-time defeat for the Italian side, who had led 2-0 in Munich.

• Winners in 1985 and 1996, Juventus have played in nine European Cup finals – losing a record seven, including all of their last five.

Leverkusen
• The home loss against Lokomotiv on matchday one made it two wins in Leverkusen's last 14 UEFA Champions League matches (D8 L4).

• Fourth in last season's Bundesliga, 2002 runners-up Leverkusen are in the UEFA Champions League group stage for the 12th time, and the first since 2016/17. They have reached the last 16 or better in seven of their last eight campaigns, most recently reaching the 2016/17 round of 16 where they lost to Atlético Madrid (2-4 h, 0-0 a).

•  Absent from Europe in 2017/18, for the first time in eight years, last season Leverkusen finished first in their UEFA Europa League section ahead of Zürich, AEK Larnaca and Ludogorets, but lost on away goals to Krasnodar in the round of 32 (0-0 a, 1-1 h).

• The Werkself have lost only two of their last 11 European away games (W4 D5), racking up ten goals on the road in last season's UEFA Europa League group stage.

• In the UEFA Champions League, Leverkusen are unbeaten in five away games (W1 D4), since a 3-2 group stage loss at Roma in November 2015.

• That made it five games without a win in Italy for Leverkusen (D1 L4), since a 1-0 success at Udinese in the 1999/2000 UEFA Cup third round first leg – their sole success away to Serie A opposition.

Links and trivia
• Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt made his professional debut at Ajax in 2016 under current Leverkusen coach Peter Bosz.

• Sven Bender was in the Dortmund side beaten 3-0 at home by Juventus in the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg; Gianluigi Buffon and Leonardo Bonucci featured for Juve.

• Have played in Germany:
Sami Khedira (Stuttgart 1995–2010)
Douglas Costa (Bayern 2015–17)

• Have played together:
Gianluigi Buffon, Adrien Rabiot & Moussa Diaby (Paris Saint-Germain 2018/19)
Matthijs de Ligt & Daley Sinkgraven (Ajax 2016–19)

• International team-mates:
Sami Khedira & Jonathan Tah, Sven Bender, Lars Bender, Kerem Demirbay, Kai Havertz, Kevin Volland, Karim Bellarabi (Germany)
Paulo Dybala, Gonzalo Higuaín & Lucas Alario (Argentina)

Latest news

Juventus
• Summer transfers
In: Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal), Luca Pellegrini (Roma), Adrien Rabiot (Paris), Gianluigi Buffon (Paris), Merih Demiral (Sassuolo), Matthijs de Ligt (Ajax), Danilo (Manchester City)
Out: Emil Audero (Sampdoria), Alberto Cerri (Cagliari), Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna), Andrea Barzagli (retired), Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma), Cristian Romero (Genoa, loan), Moise Kean (Everton), João Cancelo (Manchester City), Luca Pellegrini (Cagliari, loan)

• Danilo's next appearance in UEFA club competition will be his 50th.

• After the draw at Atlético, Juventus returned to domestic football with two consecutive 2-1 wins against newly promoted sides Verona and Brescia, coming from behind in both matches. They were 2-0 winners at home to SPAL on Saturday.

• Juve are still undefeated this season in all competitions (W5 D2).

• Aaron Ramsey made his first Juve start against Verona, as did John Charles 62 years earlier; like his fellow Welshman, Ramsey marked the occasion with a goal.

• Against SPAL, Buffon played his 903rd club game at club level, surpassing the Italian record held by Paolo Maldini. The Juve goalkeeper is now six behind Serie A's record appearance maker Maldini (641 games to 647).

• Ronaldo scored the penalty winner against Verona but sat out the Brescia game with a minor thigh injury. He returned to score the second goal against SPAL.

• Adrien Rabiot made his Juve debut against Brescia, when Miralem Pjanić got the winner with his first goal of the season; Pjanić was also on target on Saturday, maintaining his goal-a-game record at home this season.

• Alongside long-term absentees Giorgio Chiellini (knee) and Mattia Perin (shoulder), neither of whom are in the UEFA Champions League squad, Mattia De Sciglio has not played since suffering a thigh injury against Napoli on 31 August.

• Douglas Costa has been out since suffering a thigh injury in the 0-0 draw against Fiorentina on 14 September. Right-back Danilo suffered a similar injury when he was forced off after 18 minutes against Brescia.

Leverkusen
• Summer transfers
In: Kerem Demirbay (Hoffenheim), Moussa Diaby (Paris), Daley Sinkgraven (Ajax), Nadiem Amiri (Hoffenheim)
Out: Thorsten Kirschbaum (VVV), Julian Brandt (Dortmund), Dominik Kohr (Frankfurt), Tin Jedvaj (Augsburg, loan)

• Sven Bender's next appearance in UEFA club competition will be his 50th.

• Leverkusen won 4-1 at fourth-tier Alemannia Aachen in the German Cup first round on 10 August and will host Bundesliga rivals Paderborn in the second round on 29 October.

• On 17 August Bayer kicked off the new Bundesliga season with a 3-2 win against Paderborn, and have picked up 13 points from their first six games. They were 3-0 winners at Augsburg on Saturday having won 2-0 at Union Berlin seven days earlier.

• Leverkusen suffered a first loss of the season on 14 September, going down 4-0 at Dortmund. It was their heaviest defeat since 21 April 2018, when they were beaten by the same scoreline and opponents.

• Leon Bailey suffered a muscle injury against Lokomotiv on matchday one and has not played since.

• Joel Pohjanpalo, who has been out since March 2018 due to persistent foot problems, returned to team training during the international break in early September and was an unused substitute at Augsburg on Saturday.