Atletico Madrid vs Juventus 11/08/19

11 August 2019

Unlike the last season when the two sides faced off in the Champions League quarter-finals, Atletico Madrid and Juventus now go head-to-head at Friends Arena in Stockholm for a friendly fixture. It will be the final International Champions Cup appearance for both sides and also their ultimate warm-up game ahead of the new season.

La Liga giants have so far enjoyed an astonishing pre-season campaign, securing five wins in as many summer friendlies. While one of those triumphs came after a penalty shootout, the remaining four have seen Atletico score over 1.5 match goals, bagging a total of 15 goals across those triumphs. Unsurprisingly, three of Los Colchoneros’ five off-season outings have seen them keep a clean sheet, with Diego Simeone’s men allowing more than one goal per match only in a stunning 7-3 win over city rivals Real Madrid. Although they’ve failed to go past Juventus in the Champions League last season, Simeone can still rely on the fact his players have suffered just one loss in their last four H2Hs with the Italians (W2, D1, L1).

Meanwhile, the Bianconeri have started their ICC campaign with a 3-2 loss to Tottenham Hotspur before edging past arch-rivals Inter Milan after a penalty shootout. Apart from taking participation in the ICC, the reigning Serie A holders have played out just one friendly this summer, being held to a 3-3 draw by the K-League Stars team. Surprisingly, the Turin heavyweights have now failed to keep a blank sheet in 13 straight games, allowing over 1.5 match goals six times in the process. Also, frustratingly for Maurizio Sarri, his players have scored one goal or less in six of their last eight outings, struggling to find the net twice along the way.