Juventus has made themselves favourites to reach the next round of the Champions League, following their 1-1 draw at Villarreal in the first leg of their Round of 16 matches. The Bianconeri should have won that game and did almost everything right apart from conceding a goal to the Spaniards. They now welcome Unai Emery’s side to the Allianz Stadium and a visit to top betting sites will provide you with all the information required to analyse the game beforehand.
With a solid defence now being supported up top by Dusan Vlahovic, it is very hard to see Juve losing to the Spaniards, though they showed in the first leg that they should not be underestimated. It should also be noted that a draw will also not be enough because UEFA has scrapped the away goal rule.
As things stand, this game is finely poised and Villarreal will come at Juve with a lot of determination. They have already conquered Italian oppositions this season after their defeat of Atalanta in the UCL group stages.
La Dea is one of the finest clubs in Serie A and has rapidly improved in recent seasons. However, they are not comparable to Juventus in any way.
The Bianconeri have been among Europe’s elite, and Max Allegri has an outstanding record in this competition. The Juve gaffer has reached the final twice with Juve before now.
Villarreal’s Unai Emery is also a very experienced manager, and he has multiple Europa League titles on his CV.
The former PSG boss is yet to make an impression in the UCL, and he would be keen to change all that in this campaign. How easy would that be?
Emery has some exciting talents in his squad that can change matches and Juve learnt in the first leg that they never give up. These players give him the chance to upset the odds and win in Turin.
However, Juve has one of the strongest squads in Europe and Vlahovic is an attacker that can do damage on his own. This game will be a close affair, but Villarreal will play into Juve’s hands if they become too adventurous.
The Bianconeri might not be as defensive as we have come to expect in some matches, but Allegri’s side will still play a tactic that the gaffer thinks will get the result.
Considering Juve’s impressive showing in the Champions League group stages, Villarreal will be in for a long night.
What the Bianconeri cannot afford, however, is being complacent because it could expose them. With so many runners in behind for the Spanish side, we expect Juve’s defence to be a low block.
This is probably the only effective way to limit Villarreal and frustrate them in their bid to use their fast and very technical attacking players.
