Juve look to sign off with elusive victory
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Article summary
Juventus can no longer reach the last 32 but will at least hope to get a first Group A win against Manchester City FC and so prevent an unusual record of six straight draws.
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![Vincenzo Iaquinta celebrates scoring in Poznan on Matchday 5 Vincenzo Iaquinta celebrates scoring in Poznan on Matchday 5](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/01ec-0ea1bcc19fc8-9e2d3e2efdaa-1000/format/wide1/vincenzo_iaquinta_juventus_.jpeg?imwidth=158)
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Juventus can no longer reach the UEFA Champions League round of 32 but they could conclude their Group A campaign by matching an unusual record, potentially becoming only the second side to draw six games in the group stage of a UEFA club competition.
• A 1-1 draw at KKS Lech Poznań on Matchday 5 barred Juve's way to the knockout phase, while City are through and could top the section with just a draw, unless second-placed Lech, two points behind, secured a victory by a significant margin at bottom-placed FC Salzburg.
• To date, only one team, AEK Athens FC, have drawn all six fixtures in a single group stage – in the 2002/03 UEFA Champions League. More recently, FC Dinamo Bucureşti bowed out of the 2006/07 UEFA Cup group stage with four draws.
• Juventus have come close to joining this exclusive club before: they drew their first five games in the 1998/99 UEFA Champions League group stage before Marcello Lippi's side blotted their copybook with a 2-0 Matchday 6 victory at home against Rosenborg BK.
Previous meetings
• Adam Johnson cancelled out Vincenzo Iaquinta's early goal as the sides drew 1-1 on Matchday 2. It was their third encounter in UEFA competition.
• The clubs met in the first round of the 1976/77 UEFA Cup, with Tony Book's City winning 1-0 at their old Maine Road stadium, but losing 2-0 in Turin. Giovanni Trapattoni's side beat Manchester United FC in the next round and went on to win the competition, overcoming Athletic Club on away goals in the final.
• The teams for that previous meeting in Turin on 29 September 1976 were:
Juventus: Zoff, Cuccureddu, Gentile, Furino, Morini, Scirea, Causio, Tardelli, Boninsegna, Bettega, Benetti.
City: Corrigan, Docherty, Donachie, Doyle, Watson, Booth, Keegan (Lester, 69), Kidd, Royle, Hartford, Tueart.
Match background
• Juventus have played 39 games against English sides with the record W15 D9 L15 (W12 D4 L3 at home). Their previous two European campaigns, in 2008/09 and 2009/10, ended against Premier League opposition in the shape of Chelsea FC and Fulham FC respectively.
• City's only other meetings with Italian opposition came in the 1977/78 UEFA Cup third round, where they eliminated AC Milan with a 2-2 draw in Italy and a 3-0 home win. Thus their record against Serie A sides reads W2 D2 L1 (W0 D1 L1 in Italy).
• Juventus are unbeaten in nine European outings this season, but have followed up four wins in qualifying with draws in all five of their Group A matches.
• City's last European away fixture ended in a 3-1 loss at Lech on Matchday 4 which equalled their worst ever away defeat in UEFA club competition. They have now lost 3-1 away from home four times, and 2-0 on three occasions. That defeat also ended a six-game unbeaten run in Europe for the Premier League side.
Team facts
• Juventus coach Luigi Delneri represented the likes of Udinese and UC Sampdoria as a player, with the highlights of his long coaching career including marshalling AS Roma in the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League, leading US Città di Palermo to the 2005/06 UEFA Cup group stage and finishing fourth in Serie A with Sampdoria last season. He took over at Juve in the summer.
• City manager Mancini spent the bulk of his career as a forward with Sampdoria and S.S. Lazio, winning UEFA Cup Winners' Cups with both. Having claimed the Italian Cup as a coach with Lazio and ACF Fiorentina, he won three successive Serie A titles – and two more cups – with FC Internazionale Milano. He replaced Mark Hughes as City boss on 19 December last year.
• From his time coaching in Italy, Mancini had a record of W3 D4 L5 in Serie A against Juventus. His Italian Cup success with Lazio came after a 4-2 aggregate success over the Turin outfit in the 2003/04 final.
• Juventus are the most experienced club in the group stage – this will be their 352nd game in UEFA competition.
• Young City midfielder Christopher Chantler celebrates his 20th birthday on the day of the Juve game.