Maccabi v Juventus preview

Levi: Winning run

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Maccabi Haifa will be keen to break their UEFA Champions League duck when they host Juventus on Tuesday.

The Israeli champions have failed to take a point from their opening three fixtures and will be looking to restore some dented pride in midweek.

They will enter the game in buoyant mood, despite their previous European failings, with a 2-0 victory over Maccabi Netanya on Saturday representing their eighth consecutive success in the Ligat Ha'Al.

Elisha Levi will also remind his side that they pushed Juve close a fortnight ago, with only a solitary strike from Giorgio Chiellini separating the two sides.

Maccabi were forced to play 22 minutes of that game with 10 men, following Tiago Dutra's sending off, but were able to contain their Italian opponents for much of that time.

"It's going to be difficult because Juventus have lots of stars," said Levi.

"But we already showed that we can put them under pressure in our last game and, hopefully, we can take a good result at home."

Juventus will be hoping to keep their march towards the knockout stages on track when they arrive in Isreal, with the top of Group A becomingly increasingly difficult to call.

Table-toppers Bordeaux and third placed Bayern Munich will both fancy their chances of reaching the last 16, and Juve know they cannot afford any slip-ups.

They enter the game on the back of a disappointing 3-2 defeat to Napoli in Serie A on Saturday, but remain unbeaten in Europe this term.

Suspensions

The hosts will be without midfielders Baram Kayal and Dutra, who are both serving one-match bans.

Midfielder Eyal Golasa is still sidelined with a hip injury while Levi will be hoping Brazilian midfielder Gustavo Boccoli recovers from an ankle problem

The Bianconeri will be without the injured Alessandro Del Piero, Vincenzo Iaquinta, Jonathan Zebina and Mohammed Sissoko.

However, winger Mauro Camoranesi has travelled with the team despite needing four stitches in a head wound he sustained against Napoli.