A place in the 2022/23 Europa League final is up for the taking as Juventus and Sevilla lock horns on Thursday. A handsomely-looking match-up kicks off with a highly-anticipated first leg at the Allianz Stadium.
Juventus halted a rotten spell of away form that tormented them in April with a hard-fought 2-0 victory at Atalanta last weekend. Second-half goals from Samuel Iling Junior and Dusan Vlahovic helped Massimiliano Allegri’s side strengthen their position in the Serie A top-four race. But while another Champions League qualification looks inevitable, the Bianconeri could still complete the season without a title.
To avoid a second trophyless campaign on the trot, Juventus must conquer the Europa League for the first time since 1992/93. Securing a positive result in Turin is a must, especially considering a 1-0 home triumph over Sporting CP in the quarter-finals proved the difference in the aggregate scoreline (2-1). However, the Italians couldn’t have asked for a sterner test in the semis.
Despite experiencing a thoroughly underwhelming La Liga season by their standards, Sevilla showed the world why many consider them ‘Europa League specialists’ in the quarter-finals. After pulling off a late 2-2 first-leg draw at Old Trafford, Los Rojiblancos thrashed Manchester United 3-0 in the return fixture to set up their first semi-final appearance since lifting a record-extending sixth title in 2019/20.
Sevilla should take the field in high spirits after orchestrating a stunning second-half comeback to sink La Liga relegation candidates Espanyol 3-2 last time out. Indeed, since Jose Luis Mendilibar’s appointment at the start of April, the Spaniards have only lost one of their nine outings in all competitions (W6, D2), highlighting the level of confidence streaming through their veins ahead of this fixture.
Match Preview
Juventus
Speaking of enthusiasm, Juventus can draw confidence from never losing a home match in the Europa League since the competition was rebranded in 2009 (W5, D7). Since switching over from the Champions League group stages, Allegri’s men have won two of their three Europa League knockout legs at home by an identical 1-0 scoreline, except for a 1-1 draw against Nantes in the knockout playoffs.
Those victories form part of Juve’s impressive defensive record in Europe’s second-tier competition. They have kept a clean sheet in half of their Europa League contests in Turin (6/12). Defensive solidity could prove crucial as Juventus bid to make amends for a 2013/14 exit at the hands of Benfica in their most recent semi-final appearance in the tournament.
Player to Watch: Angel Di Maria
Di Maria has turned the Europa League into his playground during the spring, soaking up the limelight as Juventus’ headline performer on the continental form. The Argentine has netted 44% of his side’s European goals this calendar year (4/9).
Sevilla
Like Juventus, Sevilla endured an ill-fated Champions League campaign. However, they’ve since thrived in the Europa League, overcoming the likes of PSV Eindhoven, Fenerbahce, and Man Utd in the opening three knockout rounds. Ominously for Mendilibar, his men had lost both Europa League away legs this season ‘to nil’ before drawing at Old Trafford last time out.
On a more positive note, the Spaniards have emerged victorious in their last six meetings with Serie A clubs in the Europa League. Moreover, each win during that sequence came in the competition’s knockout stages. If that’s not enough to bolster their title pursuit, the fact they’ve gone on to win the tournament on each of the five previous instances they’ve made it to the semi-finals should do the trick.
Player to Watch: Youssef En-Nesyri
One of the architects of Sevilla’s clear-cut win over Man Utd, En-Nesyri tops the club’s scoring charts in the Europa League this season with three goals. Since moving to Andalusia in January 2020, the Moroccan forward has tallied a club-high 13 goals in major European competitions.
Team News
Besides long-term absentee Kaio Jorge, Juventus will be without the Italian full-back Mattia De Sciglio, who suffered a knee injury during a 2-1 win over Lecce last week. But with Paul Pogba and Federico Chiesa back to full fitness and Leandro Paredes returning from a Serie A suspension, Allegri will have an otherwise fit squad.
On the other hand, Tanguy Nianzou, Marcao, Joan Jordan, Suso, and Pape Gueye are all unavailable for selection due to various injury problems. Yet, Lucas Ocampos and Erik Lamela have made the matchday squad despite facing fitness concerns.
Juventus vs Sevilla Potential Lineups
Juventus (3-5-1-1): Wojciech Szczesny; Danilo, Gleison Bremer, Alex Sandro; Juan Cuadrado, Nicolo Fagioli, Manuel Locatelli, Adrien Rabiot, Filip Kostic; Angel Di Maria; Dusan Vlahovic.
Sevilla (4-2-3-1): Bounou; Jesus Navas, Bade, Nemanja Gudelj, Marcos Acuna; Fernando, Ivan Rakitic; Lucas Ocampos, Oliver Torres, Bryan Gil; Youssef En-Nesyri.
Juventus vs Sevilla Prediction
Brimming with self-assurance following their recent accomplishments and consistent goal-scoring, Sevilla have the opportunity to seize the upper hand in this semi-final leg by securing an advantage in the first leg. Juventus, known for prioritizing caution, can occasionally be vulnerable, but we expect a keenly-contested encounter could be in store.
Prediction: Draw
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