Daily Times

Manchester City might be deep in a crisis which is unprecedented under iconic coach Pep Guardiola but on Wednesday the wobbling English champions take on a Juventus team with troubles of their own.

Juventus were booed and whistled by their supporters on Saturday night when they struggled back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at the death with mid-table Bologna.

Fans, who were expecting a change of tune when coach Thiago Motta left Bologna to replace Massimiliano Allegri in the summer, have been frustrated by a run of four straight draws which have left Juve off the pace at home and in Europe.

Had Juve not been in such uninspiring form Wednesday would have been a perfect opportunity to leapfrog City in the Champions League table, where the Italians sit 19th, behind their Premier League opponents on goal difference.

“I don’t think there is a best time to play Manchester City, but we will face the match as we always do, by trying to stop them from playing their football and impose our own play on them,” said Motta on Saturday.

Juve have drawn 11 of their 20 matches in all competitions this season and are seven points behind new Serie A leaders Atalanta after 15 matches, not the start that the club were hoping for.

Two wins from nine matches in all competitions, a run which includes a fully deserved home defeat to Stuttgart in October, have set the alarm bells ringing to the point that Agnelli family figurehead John Elkann visited the club’s Continassa training ground on Monday.