Champions League
2017-04-11 - Juventus vs Barcelona
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: European Champions League Quarter Final
Tuesday 11th April 2017 - Kick Off 7:45pm
This game is live on TV
Juventus
There is no talk of revenge for the Champions League Final defeat of 2015 for the Juventus players who are instead focusing on trying to move another step closer to their third European Cup in the club's history. The Old Lady of Italian Football have lost three Finals since last winning the competition in 1996, but Juventus will know the challenge in front of them in this Quarter Final is a big one having exited the Champions League in this Round last season.
The key difference the Juventus players have been pointing to in comparing this tie to the Champions League Final two years ago is the fact that this is a double Leg situation. The home Leg is clearly going to be important for Juventus if they are going to find their way past Barcelona and the side are unbeaten in 21 European games in their new Stadium. The unbeaten run is impressive, but Juventus have drawn half of their last 8 Champions League games here.
Juventus have reached the Coppa Italia Final and have a 6 point lead in Serie A, but they have won 4 of their last 7 games in all competitions which has slowed some progress. Home form has been very important for Juventus in all the competitions they have entered and that is shown by their 15 consecutive wins here.
Barcelona
After losing 4-0 in Paris in the First Leg of their Champions League Last 16 tie, Barcelona had to make history by becoming the first team to overcome that deficit in the history of the European Cup. They rode their luck to do that, but Barcelona's reprieve will not have made the other seven teams left in the Champions League feel too good as this is a side with recent experience of winning this competition.
The last Champions League success came for Barcelona at the end of the 2014/15 season when beating Juventus 3-1 in the Final, but they have looked vulnerable at times this season which will encourage their opponents. The away form in the Champions League over the last twelve months is a concern for Barcelona having lost 3 of their last 5 and all of those defeats coming by at least two goals each time.
Barcelona have won 8 of their last 10 games in all competitions, but suffered a significant blow in the La Liga title race when losing 2-0 at Malaga on Saturday. A strong team started that game and had to play the last 25 minutes with ten men, while Barcelona have lost 3 of their last 5 away games in all competitions.
Sergio Busquets is suspended from the First Leg, but Neymar will be available despite his sending off in the League on Saturday.
Head to Head
This is the eighth time Juventus and Barcelona will be meeting in a competitive game and the first since the 3-1 win for Barcelona in the Champions League Final in Berlin in 2015.
Juventus have hosted Barcelona 3 times in the past and have won 1 and drawn 2 of those games with the last time they met in Turin coming in the 2002/03 Champions League Quarter Final.
On that occasion the First Leg finished 1-1 in Turin before Juventus won the away Leg in extra time at the Nou Camp.
Prediction
All four of the Champions League Quarter Final ties have some intrigue around them, but you would have to put the ties between Juventus and Barcelona and Bayern Munich and Real Madrid right at the top of the list. The winner of those two Quarter Final ties will believe they can go on and win the Champions League and will certainly lead the markets prior to the Semi Final draw.
First up on Tuesday is the First Leg in Turin as Juventus look to not only maintain their unbeaten record in their new Stadium in European Football, but also to find a way to take a lead to Barcelona next week. An unbeaten run sounds brilliant, but Juventus have drawn 4 of their last 8 home Champions League fixtures and you do wonder if they would be content with a draw to take to the Nou Camp for the Second Leg.
However there is a feeling this current Barcelona team are perhaps more vulnerable than many they have sent out over the last few seasons. Any team with Neymar, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi will be dangerous going forward, but Barcelona have not looked comfortable defensively and miss an important figure in Sergio Busquets for the First Leg.
Barcelona have lost away Champions League games at Atletico Madrid, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain since the Quarter Final Round last season. Wins in Borussia Monchengladbach and Celtic have also been achieved in that time, but those losses will certainly be at the back of the mind of the players and ones that Juventus must use as an encouragement.
The Catalan club have also lost 3 of their last 5 away games overall as they have slipped up at Paris Saint-Germain, Deportivo La Coruna and Malaga while conceding at least twice in each of those games.
Juventus have plenty of experience at this level and a brave performance can see them replicate their win over Real Madrid in the Semi Final here in 2015. The days of expecting a negative Italian performance have long been behind us and I do think Juventus will look to get forward and create chances while having full belief in their own defensive organisation to find a way to contain the quality 'MSN' forward three Barcelona will rely on.
You have to feel that Juventus will create their chances in this fixture against a Barcelona backline that have not looked secure for much of the last twelve months. Juventus themselves do have a team that will produce solid defensive organisation when they need to and I am going to back the Italian Champions to have a lead to take into the Second Leg in what could be a fascinating First Leg in Turin.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Juventus 2-1 Barcelona
FIXED ODDS BETTING TIP :
I'll back Juventus to Win @ 2.62 with Bet365
