Didac Aguirre Juventus star ruled out right before the match against Real Madrid
The Juventus pillar who will not be able to play against Real Madrid due to a serious injury
The round of 16 are set to deliver matches more exciting than those seen in the group stage of the Club World Cup. Real Madrid, after dominating its group, will face Juventus, which lost its last match against Manchester City. Although this match was expected to be complicated, Juventus has suffered a major loss.
Nicolò Savona, its starting center back throughout the season, suffered a knee injury in the match against City. With la Vecchia Signora reporting that Savona suffered a high-grade capsuloligamentous injury, his presence has been ruled out. This is, without a doubt, a major loss for Juventus, which was looking to pull off an upset in the round of 16.
Nevertheless, for Real Madrid this is a great opportunity to secure its place in the quarterfinals. Even though the club doesn't want to be overconfident, it is the heavy favorite in a match that's already part of European soccer history.
Juventus's loss
Without being the club it used to be in the past, Juventus has shown an acceptable level in this World Cup. Its defense has been one of its most outstanding positions, with Savona being key on several occasions with his defensive solidity. Although the match against Manchester City ended with a score of 5-2, this happened after Savona's injury.
As a pillar for the Italian backline, his absence for the match against Real Madrid will be quite noticeable for the Italian side. Federico Gatti, his compatriot, will be his replacement in a match where Real Madrid is the favorite to win the World Cup.
Fixing all the problems it showed in the debut against Al Hilal, Real Madrid is an unstoppable team. Xabi Alonso, in just a few weeks, has managed to renew the energy of a squad that's preparing for this second phase of the World Cup.
Real Madrid's opportunity
There's no doubt that Real Madrid is the favorite for its match against Juventus. But Savona's injury has given it more opportunities. With an attack that doesn't forgive any rival mistake, Real Madrid is ready to qualify for the quarterfinals.
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