Turbulent Barcelona Side Heads to Juventus for Champions League Showdown

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BarcelonawilltraveltoItalytotakeonJuventusinChampionsLeagueplayafterahecticTuesdayonwhichtheclub’sentireexecutiveboardresigned.

CristianoRonaldobequeathoverlookWednesdayisChampionsLeaguematesbetweenJuventusandBarcelonaimputabletohisearlierCOVID-19diagnosing.(Prototype:Getty)

PresidentJosepMariaBartomeuandtheentireboardofdirectorssteppeddownratherthanawaittheresultofavoteofconfidencefromBarcelonasupporters.

BartomeuDefendsTenuretoSupporters

AccordingtoBartomeu,hedecidedtostepdownafterdebatingwithlocalofficialsoverwhethervotinginpersonwouldbesafeforclubmembersduringtheCOVID-19pandemic.

“Theeasiestthingafterthe[ChampionsLeaguelosstoBayernMunich]wastoresign,butonehadtotakedecisionsamidanunprecedentedglobalcrisis,”Bartomeutoldsupportersinatelevisedspeech.“WhowouldhaveensuredthatMessistayed?Whowouldhavehiredanewcoach?”

Airregulardirectiondisplaypanelbequeathsuperintendday-by-dayoperationsattheguild.Barcelonabequeathschedulenovelelectionstoconstituteanovelchairsometimeintheadjacent90solardays.

ManyBarcelonainstrumentalistspickapartBartomeuforhisleadingduringthe”Barcagate”societalmassmediumsdirt.SixdisplaypanelpenisalsoresignedinApriloverdifferencesofopinionwithBartomeuoverthesteeringoftheguild.

ChampionsLeagueOdds–Wednesday(viaFanDuelSportsbook) FKKrasnodar:+750 Draw:+380 Chelsea:-270 Basaksehir:+1300 Draw:+600 ParisSaint-Germain:-600 Juventus:+195 Draw:+240 Barcelona:+140 Ferencvaros:+230 Draw:+220 DynamoKiev:+125 ClubBrugge:-110 Draw:+260 Lazio:+280 ManchesterUnited:+135 Draw:+240 RBLeipzig:+195 Sevilla:-190 Draw:+310 Rennes:+550 Dortmund:-300 Draw:+450 ZenitSt.Petersburg:+700

TheturmoilsetsthebackdropforWednesday’sGroupGChampionsLeagueclashbetweenBarcelonaandJuventus.Bothsideswontheirfirstmatchescomfortablythisweek,andthetwoarefavoredtomovethroughtotheknockoutphaseofthetournament.

Still,anyclashbetweenthetwoEuropeangiantscomeswithmeaning.Ifeithersidewins,they’lltakecontrolofthegroup–thoughbothclubscanlivewithadrawaswell.FanDuelsportsbooklistsBarcelonaasa+140roadfavoriteoverJuventus(+195).

RonaldoOutforJuventusDuetoCOVID-19Testing

Thematchwilllosesomeofitslusterbecauseofakeyinjury.JuventusforwardCristianoRonaldowillmissthegame,astheclubfailedtodeclareanegativeCOVID-19testforthesuperstarintimeforthematch.RonaldotestedpositiveforthecoronavirusonOct.13,andcannotplayunlesshisteamsubmitsanegativetestatleast24hoursbeforekickoff.

ThateliminatesthepotentialmatchupbetweenRonaldoandBarcelona’sLionelMessi,whohavestillnevermeteachotherintheChampionsLeaguegroupstage.Evenwithoutthatmatchup,thegameshouldremainamust-watchforsoccerfans,accordingtoBarcamanagerRonaldKoeman.

“It’samatchbetweenbigteamsthatwanttogoalongwayinthetournament,”Koemantoldreporters.“Foreveryoneit’sanimportantandbeautifulmatch.Wealwayswantthebest[players]onthefield.Ronaldoisagreatplayer.Idon’tknowifhecan[play],it’snotmyproblemormydecision.ButIhopehecan.”

WhilemostofWednesday’sotherChampionsLeaguecontestsfeaturemismatchesorteamsthatareunlikelytogodeepinthetournament,thereisatleastoneothermatchupworthwatching.ManchesterUnited(+135)willvisitRBLeipzig(+195)inakeyGroupHclash.Bothteamsstartedwithwins,andcanstayaheadofthealwaysdangerousParisSaint-Germain–whichsuffereda2-1losstoManUnitedathomeinitsChampionsLeagueopener–iftheygrabatleastapoint.