West Brom meet Juventus at The Hawthorns - as under-21s ready for battle with youngsters from 'Old Lady'

Links between the two clubs are not plentiful. Albion recently signed a player from the Turin club, of course, in Gianluca Frabotta, but you would be forgiven for forgetting about him. Enzo Maresca, now in one of the most high-profile football roles in England, left Albion for Juve for £4million in January 2000.

The great Italian outfit send their 'Next Gen' (under-23) outfit to the Black Country on Wednesday night to tackle the best the Albion academy has to offer.

Leigh Downing's young Baggies face the youngsters from the Old Lady in the next Premier League International Cup group fixture in Albion under-21s' debut season in the continental competition.

It is a tough school, with many of Europe's top academies entering to pit themselves against the best youngsters in England.

Albion's group B got off to a challenging start last Tuesday, when Danish visitors FC Nordsjaelland were good value for a 3-0 victory at The Hawthorns. The Italians started up with a 2-1 win at Leicester early last month.

Downing, who is in the early months of his first season as under-21s boss, said he and his backroom staff targeted the competition as well as the National League Cup - where the under-21s face senior National League opposition - as useful experience.

"We looked at this competition along with the National League Cup and whenever the boys get a game at The Hawthorns it adds a little bit of extra spice to it with fans coming to watch," Downing said.

"Having Juventus come here will be another great night for the lads. These are the games the boys really want to look to impress and do well in."

Downing added of Nordsjaelland's display last week: "I said to the players this competition is going to test and challenge them, because we're going to come up against some very good sides that have probably got a lot of international players in their squads.

"I think they caused us problems in the first half through their movement and the way they moved the ball."

There is little let-up for Downing's youngsters, who drew 2-2 at home to Leeds United in PL2 action at the club's training ground last Friday through goals from defenders Jamal Mohammed and Adam Letlat, the latter a stoppage-time equaliser.

Albion's captain in last week's clash against the Scandinavian visitors Cole Deeming, 18, also travelled with Ryan Mason's first team having impressed the new Baggies boss so far.

"I think it's a really good experience," Deeming told the Express & Star of the competition. "You don't usually play against teams like that.

"They set up differently English teams. You see the players in the PL2, there will be big and physical players. I don't really think there was one player that was over six foot four, or any physical players - they were all really nippy.

"It's a good experience, though. It's what you need because you don't know where you can go in your career."

The Halesowen-born midfielder, a former Birmingham Road season ticket holder, added: "All of the the boys are looking forward to playing against such a huge club and it will be a massive opportunity to impress. 

“It always puts an edge to proceedings when we play matches at The Hawthorns. It’s our stadium and being a massive Albion fan as well puts a bit more on the game for me too."

The Baggies face Germans Borussia Monchengladbach at Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr on October 29 and Valencia of Spain on December 3 with a venue to be confirmed.