Conte rests regulars for Celtic

06 March 2013 20:18

Juventus coach Antonio Conte rested a number of first team regulars for the Italians' Champions League last 16 second leg against Celtic in Turin on Wednesday.

Defender Giorgio Chiellini makes way for the untested Luca Marrone at the heart of Juve's three-man defence while Simone Padoin replaces Stephan Lichsteiner on the right side of the hosts' five-man midfield.

Lichsteiner, along with Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal, is one yellow card away from a one-match ban that would keep him out of an eventual quarter-final.

Up front Conte has opted for Alessandro Matri and Fabio Quagliarella, leaving Mirko Vucinic on the bench with fellow striker Sebastian Giovinco.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon, meanwhile, opted to leave Nigerian Efe Ambrose on the bench.

Errors by Ambrose in the first leg were blamed for two of the goals Celtic conceded in their 3-0 first leg defeat at Celtic Park last month.

The visitors will line up in a loose 4-3-2-1 formation with Gary Hooper as striker supported by Giorgios Samaras on the left with Kris Commons on the right.

Teams

Juventus

Gianluigi Buffon; Leonardo Bonucci, Luca Marrone, Andrea Barzagli; Federico Peluso, Paul Pogba, Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal, Simone Padoin; Alessandro Matri, Fabio Quagliarella

Celtic

Fraser Forster; Emilio Izaguirre, Beram Kayal, Kelvin Wilson, Adam Matthews; Charlie Mulgrew, Joe Ledley, Victor Wanyama; Giorgis Samaras, Gary Hooper, Kris Commons

Referee: Firat Aydinus (TUR)

Source: AFP