Henry Roldán
One of the most challenging ties of these exciting Europa League quarterfinals will be undoubtedly the clash between Juventus vs Sporting Lisbon at the Allianz Stadium, which kicks off this Thursday.
The Italian club comes into the game after defeating German side Freiburg 3-0 on aggregate in the round of 16, while the Portuguese side caused one of the biggest upsets of the tournament by beating Arsenal on penalties after the tie finished 3-3.
The last time these teams met was in the group stage of the 2017 Champions League, with Juventus winning the first game and a subsequent draw securing their qualification. Without further ado, JefeBet brings you the ultimate preview of this stellar first-leg match between Juventus and Sporting Lisbon.
Predictions, Picks, and Betting Odds for the Juventus vs Sporting CP Europa League Quarter-Finals First Leg Game on April 13, 2023
- Where: Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy.
- When: Thursday, April 13, 2023, 3:00 PM E.T.
- Moneyline: Juventus (-115) / Draw (+250) / Sporting Lisbon (+360).
- Asian Handicap: Juventus (AH -0.75, +100) / Sporting Lisbon (AH +0.75, -145).
- Over/Under (2.5): Over (+135) / Under (-170).
- Both teams score: Yes (+105) / No (-130).
All odds are provided by Draftkings.
Betting on Juventus
In order to rescue a turbulent season, Juventus needs to win the Europa League, which is no easy task given their upcoming opponents. Massimiliano Allegri’s team will have the opportunity to start the tie at home, where they have only lost one of their 15 Serie A matches and drew with Nantes and beat Freiburg in the previous rounds of this tournament.
This performance suggests that their disastrous campaign in the Champions League group stage is now behind them, as they even came close to finishing fourth in the group and missing out on European football altogether.
Adding to this, their 15-point deduction in the Italian league at the beginning of January means that they are unlikely to qualify for the Champions League next season, so winning this tournament is their only chance to do so.
To achieve this, they will have to rely on their strong defense, which has been impressive throughout the season, except in the Champions League. In their home games, they have kept a clean sheet in 10 of their 15 Serie A matches, while their 24 goals conceded in the league are the third-best record.
Moreover, they have won 11 out of their last 15 official matches and their top scorer, Dusan Vlahovic, is expected to be available on Thursday despite being doubtful due to an ankle injury.
Probable lineup (3-5-1-1): Wojciech Szczesny; Federico Gatti, Bremer, Alex Sandro; Juan Cuadrado, Manuel Locatelli, Adrien Rabiot, Filip Kostic, Nicolo Fagioli; Angel Di Maria; Dusan Vlahovic.
Betting on Sporting Lisboa
If Juventus’ season has been turbulent, we can say that Sporting’s has been inconsistent, with a couple of great results paralleled with performances below their average.
For instance, the Portuguese not only handed Benfica their first defeat in Primeira Liga, but also eliminated Arsenal in the round of 16, the powerful leader of the Premier League. However, in their local championship, they sit in fourth place, five points behind Sporting Braga in the spot that grants a place in the Champions League qualifying rounds.
Like their opponents, they were eliminated in the group stage of the Champions League, on the verge of being out of any continental competition, and their performance in that competition is nothing like what they did after their hasty exit.
The team led by Rúben Amorim heads into this match with 11 consecutive matches without defeat in all competitions, and although they have lost four times away from home in the Portuguese league, in Europe they have lost only one game in their last six matches, including three clean sheets.
Sporting also counts on a strong offense that ranks fourth in the Primeira Liga with 56 goals scored in 11 matches without defeat. The Portuguese have scored at least three goals on five occasions andthis power could be very useful for them to finally defeat an Italian team for the first time after 15 meetings.
Probable lineup (3-4-3): Antonio Adán; Ousmane Diomandé, Sebastián Coates, Matheus Reis; Ricardo Esgaio, Manuel Ugarte, Pedro Goncalves, Nuno Santos; Marcus Edwards, Youssef Chermiti, Trincao.
JefeBet Prediction
There is no doubt that this match-up could be the most fought of all the quarterfinals, which leads us to predict a very close result in this first leg clash. Juventus boasts a formidable defense and is a specialist in shutting out their opponents when they travel to Turin. The problem is that their attack is not entirely solvent and they have struggled to seal deals due to their difficulties in front of the goal.
On the other hand, Sporting has also done defensive work away from home in their last European outings, and in their visit to Arsenal, a similar opponent to Juventus, they managed to score only one goal despite their strong offense. This Thursday, we will have a very defensive and hard-fought match, so at JefeBet, we believe that everything will be decided next week at Sporting’s home. .
Prediction: Under (JUV 1 – SPO 1).
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