Benfica & Spalletti: Champions League Boost for Yildiz?

A busy calendar should lead the Italian coach to manage the squad, with the Turk being a candidate to rest

Juventus hosts Benfica on Wednesday and, despite not yet having guaranteed passage to the next stage of the Champions League, the ‘Tuttosport’ portal says that Luciano Spalletti is considering sparing Kenan Yildiz against the Reds. The number 10 shirt is a fundamental piece in the team’s maneuver – he has 8 goals and 7 assists -, but the tight schedule until February 8th (after the Eagles, the Velha Senhora faces Naples, Monaco, Parma, Atalanta and Lazio) could lead the Italian coach to rest the Turkish international in view of the upcoming battles.

One doubt concerns the possible starting role of Francisco Conceição, who has recovered from the muscle problems that affected him in December, although Fabio Miretti is not ruled out. In goal, everything points to Di Gregorio’s return to the eleven to the detriment of Perin, starter in the defeat (0-1) at Cagliari. Furthermore, the midfield duo should be formed by Locatelli and Thuram, with Canadian Jonathan David in position 9.

Aiko Tanaka

Aiko Tanaka is a combat sports journalist and general sports reporter at Archysport. A former competitive judoka who represented Japan at the Asian Games, Aiko brings firsthand athletic experience to her coverage of judo, martial arts, and Olympic sports. Beyond combat sports, Aiko covers breaking sports news, major international events, and the stories that cut across disciplines — from doping scandals to governance issues to the business side of global sport. She is passionate about elevating the profile of underrepresented sports and athletes.

Leave a Comment