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Rediff.com  » Sports » Juve's Lippi leaves out big names

Juve's Lippi leaves out big names

December 02, 2003 11:06 IST
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Juventus coach Marcello Lippi will field a largely second-string side for Tuesday's re-arranged Champions League Group D match against Turkey's Galatasaray in Dortmund.

With the Italian champions already qualified for the knockout phase, Lippi has opted to leave out French striker David Trezeguet, Czech midfielder Pavel Nedved and Italy international goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

The Juve coach had already decided to leave striker Alessandro Del Piero back in Turin along with first-choice defenders Lilian Thuram and Nicola Legrottaglie. Gianluca Zambrotta misses the game with a hamstring injury.

Lippi said several fringe players would be given a chance in the wake of Saturday's 3-1 home defeat by Inter Milan.

"Buffon, Nedved and Trezeguet will be on the bench and the line-up will change a lot in relation to the team that faced Inter," Lippi told the club's website.

Despite the fact that Juve's place in the next phase is secured, Lippi said they are looking to get at least a point out of the game which has been moved to Germany by UEFA following the recent terrorist attacks in Istanbul.

"It is true that we have already qualified but we still need a point to take first place in the group and so we have an important aim -- to finish top," he said.

Marco Di Vaio, Fabrizio Miccoli and Marcelo Zalayeta are expected to feature in attack with Antonio Conte and Edgar Davids brought into midfield.

Galatasaray are bottom of the group on three points and need a win to maintain their hopes of progressing.

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Source: REUTERS
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