Preview: Juventus vs. Trabzonspor

Juventus may be running away with the Serie A title, but they are no longer in the Champions League and begin their Europa League knockout campaign against Turkish side Trabzonspor on Thursday evening.

The Old Lady could only finish third behind Real Madrid and Galatasaray in their Champions League group, losing late on at a snowy Galatasaray in their final group game.

Now they are the favourites to win the Champions League's sister competition, the final for which takes place at Juve's home stadium in Turin.

Juve boss Antonio Conte will be without Giorgio Chiellini and Mirko Vucinic but should recall both Paul Pogba and Carlos Tevez to the starting lineup.

Trabzonspor are without manager Mustafa Akcay after he resigned with the club down in ninth in the Turkish Super Lig.

Despite their so-so league form, they finished ahead of Lazio in the group stage and are unbeaten in 12 European games, winning nine and drawing three and particularly impressing on the road where they won five out of six and conceded just once.

Former Chelsea duo Florent Malouda and Jose Bosingwa both play for Trabzonspor but only the former will be fit for Thursday's tie.

The winners of this tie will go on to face either Esbjerg or Fiorentina in the last 16.

Recent form

Juventus: WDWDLW

Trabzonspor: DLDDLW

Possible starting lineups

Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Ogbonna; Lichsteiner, Vidal, Pogba, Pirlo, Asamoah; Llorente, Tevez

Trabzonspor: Kivrak, Bosingwa, Yumlu, Demir, Keles, Colman, Adin, Hurmaci, Zokora, Alanzinho, Paulo Henrique

Sports Mole says: 2-1