Midfield battle central to mouth-watering Juve-Sevilla clash

Arsenal’s eventual stalemate with PSG may have been the most eye-catching tie of the first round of Champions League fixtures but Wednesday’s meeting between Juventus and Sevilla is arguably the most intriguing.

Both teams enter the game off the back of strong starts to their respective league campaigns, with the hosts already out in front in Serie A courtesy of a 100% record and their visitors second only to Real Madrid in La Liga, with 7 points from 9.

After a summer of some upheaval for both sides, with Allegri able to spend the riches earned from the sale of Paul Pogba and new Sevilla boss Jorge Sampaoli backed generously in the transfer market, these are exciting times in both Turin and Seville. While Juventus have genuine designs on going one better than their Champions League final appearance in 2015, and understandably so, the Spanish outfit are aiming to prove that the Europa League is not their level having exerted their dominance in the tournament over the past three years.

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With such high-profile changes to both teams there is always a risk that players will take time to bed in but that certainly hasn’t proven the case for a number of new signings from either side.

Juventus spent the majority of the world record fee recouped for Pogba on Serie A record breaker Gonzalo Higuain. The Argentine scored a remarkable 36 league goals for the Old Lady’s closest challengers Napoli last season, with most assuming the switch would be one that would all but assure Allegri’s side of a sixth consecutive title as a result. If the start to this season is anything to go by, it looks a pretty safe assumption.

Higuain has already scored three league goals for his new club despite starting just once, currently averaging a goal every 40 minutes. The striker was joined on the scoresheet in a 3-1 win over Sassuolo at the weekend by the club’s second biggest signing Miralem Pjanic - an arrival that many view as the most important, not only in replacing Pogba but taking the club forward - notching on his overdue debut since moving from Roma.

Indeed, while Pogba’s departure certainly seemed a blow to Juventus’ European credentials, there is a sense that it is actually already allowing this side to evolve. With Pjanic offering the goal threat from midfield that the Frenchman had before him - registering 10 goals and 12 assists last season - and at a fraction of a cost, Allegri’s men have coped superbly thus far, with the Bosnian seen as the link in terms of playmaking in the final third that the side perhaps lacked at times. It’s also allowed for fit again Sami Khedira to step into the limelight - scoring in his first two matches of the campaign before registering an assist in the third.

The most interesting inclusion in the midfield thus far, however, has been that of Mario Lemina, whose move from Lyon appeared, to all extents and purposes, to have flopped. Indeed, the the young Frenchman was strongly tipped to leave the club after just one season in Turin but since the departure of his compatriot Pogba, and in the absence of the injured Claudio Marchisio, he has been tasked with a key role in this team early in the season.

Starting all three league matches at the heart of Juventus’ midfield, the 23-year old has impressed in keeping things ticking over for the Italian champions. It’s not been an easy start for Juve, facing Fiorentina and Lazio before last season’s shock European finishers in Sassuolo, but Lemina has stood up to the threat that he has faced thus far. The youngster boasts the second bast pass accuracy for his side (91.3%), whilst averaging two tackles, two interceptions and two shots per game.

In protecting Juventus’ famed back three of the BBC - now interchangeable having added another ‘B’ in the form of Mehdi Benatia during the summer - if selected ahead of Kwadwo Asamoah then Lemina will be tasked with quelling a threat that Juventus know well.

While Franco Vazquez may have represented something of an unknown entity to many of Sevilla’s fans following his arrival from Palermo, they are already now realising just how effective the playmaker is. The 27-year old’s threat was one fellow countryman Sampaoli was well aware of, and while he underwhelmed in an earlier Liga loan spell with Rayo Vallecano four years ago, Vazquez has improved markedly since.

Really coming to the fore two seasons ago having forged an excellent understanding with Paulo Dybala - who he will face on Wednesday night - Vazquez excelled while his younger teammate took the limelight. Indeed, in the 2014/15 campaign tallies of 10 goals and 10 assists saw Vazquez claim the highest WhoScored.com rating in Serie A, laying on four of Dybala’s 13 league goals, whilst leading the league in dribbles, with 127. In fact, he was strongly tipped to follow the Argentine to the J-Stadium at the time.

While Vazquez’s figures dropped slightly following Dybala’s move to Juventus last summer, he still posted tallies of 8 goals and 7 assists for a rating of 7.51 to again rank among Serie’s top 5 players, ironically behind Paul Pogba - now of Juve's past - Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala - both firmly of the Old Lady's future.

Vazquez’s ability to elude challenges as well as draw fouls in dangerous positions will be a problem to whomever is tasked with keeping him quiet. If that man proves to be Lemina, this could prove a litmus test of his ability to perform at this level. While the potential of a clash of the 3-5-2s is an exciting prospect tonight, hinting towards a battle of the wing-backs, it’s this key central fight that could prove decisive if there is to be an early upset on the cards in Group H.

Who will come out on top in Turin? Let us know your predictions in the comments below