Chelsea vs Juventus: Blues aim to finally overcome Italian hoodoo

Chelsea vs Juventus: Blues aim to finally overcome Italian hoodoo - November 23

Topics: TV Schedules, TV Listings, Chelsea, Juventus, UEFA Champions League

Top spot in group H is up for grabs as Chelsea and Juventus prepare to do battle on the penultimate matchday of the group stages.

Preview: Chelsea vs Juventus

Following their resounding 3-0 win over Leicester that keeps them on top of the Premier League table, Chelsea will now turn their attention back towards the Champions League as they aim to successfully defend their crown. The Blues presently sit in second spot in Group H, with the sole blemish being a narrow 1-0 loss to Juventus on matchday two. They'll have the perfect opportunity to get revenge on the Italian side on Tuesday evening, when they welcome La Vecchia Signora to Stamford Bridge.

However, Chelsea's record against Juventus - and Italian sides, for that matter - isn't that great. They've won just once against La Vecchia Signora so far, and that, as of now, remains their only success, with two draws and two losses being the result from their last five games. Overall, they have won just one of their last ten UCL ties against Serie A sides, losing six, and that sole win was a 4-1 result versus Napoli nearly a decade ago (March 2012).

Juventus, meanwhile, have enjoyed success, especially on the road against English teams, with three consecutive wins ahead of Tuesday's game. Should Massimiliano Allegri's men leave Stamford Bridge with all three points in hand, they'll become the first team in competition history to win four straight away matches against English sides. The Bianconeri come into this match having beaten Lazio over the weekend, with both goals coming from a very unlikely source: Leonardo Bonucci, who scored a brace via penalties to help Juventus stay in possible contention for a European football berth.

Juve do have a long way to go to catch the top two sides - if they even can - but will be firmly focused on securing top spot in their group, which they can do with a win on Tuesday. Will the Bianconeri set a new competition record? Or will Chelsea fans see the Blues finally overcome their frustrating Italian hoodoo?

Team news: Chelsea vs Juventus

Chelsea: Chelsea are breathing a sigh of relief as key midfielder Jorginho, who was subbed off during the Blues' clash against Leicester at the weekend is fit and will be back in the starting XI. However, Kai Havertz is now a reported doubt due to some hamsting issues, while Romelu Lukaku has returned to training, but will have to be evaluated to see if he can be involved in any capacity during Tuesday's clash.

Juventus: As for the visitors, they've recovered quite a few of their injured players, namely star man Paulo Dybala, who's part of the traveling party to London. However, Danilo remains out with a thigh injury.

Match facts: Chelsea vs Juventus

Chelsea have won just one of their last ten games in the UCL against Italian opponents (D3 L6)
Their sole win during this time was a 4-1 win over Napoli back in March 2012
Meanwhile, Juventus have won their last three away UCL matches against English opponents
Those results were against Man City (2015), Tottenham (2018), and Man Utd (2018)
If they win on Tuesday at Stamford Bridge, the Bianconeri will become the first team to ever win four consecutive away UCL ties versus English sides
La Vecchia Signora have won their last five UCL games (including four group stage ties this season)
They'll be looking to set a new club record of six consecutive wins in this competition
Chelsea beat Juventus back in 2009, but are now winless in their last four meetings with the Bianconeri (D2 L2)