Juventus and Sporting CP will face off against each other at the Allianz Stadium in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie this Thursday. Lifting the trophy they last won in 1992/93 during the UEFA Cup era is now the most realistic way for the Bianconeri to reach next season’s Champions League.
After a 2-1 defeat at Lazio last Saturday knocked Juventus down from a three-game winning streak in Serie A, an 11th straight top-four finish is no longer a realistic scenario. Massimiliano Allegri’s men now sit eight points behind fourth-placed Milan, courtesy of an infamous 15-point deduction, and will have to seek an alternate route into the Champions League.
They have an alternate path into next season’s competition, but it would require them to conquer the Europa League this term. Juventus have already overcome Nantes and Freiburg in the opening two knockout rounds after switching over from the Champions League group stages. Interestingly, the last time they won Europe’s second-tier tournament, they ousted Portuguese opposition in the quarter-finals.
Juventus cannot rely on history if they’re to leave Sporting in their wake. Like the record-time Italian champions, the Portuguese heavyweights have joined the Europa League knockout stages following an ill-fated Champions League campaign in autumn and excelled. Danish outfit Midtjylland fell victim to Los Leoes‘ wrath in the knockout playoff round.
But Ruben Amorim’s side showed they’re here to stay by dispatching Premier League pacesetters Arsenal in the previous knockout tie on penalties. Sporting could make history this season as they seek their first major international silverware since winning the 1963/64 European Cup Winners’ Cup. And the enthusiasm is at an all-time high.
Since a 2-1 home loss to fierce Primeira Liga rivals Porto in early February, Amorim’s men have gone unbeaten in 11 straight matches in all competitions (W7, D4). With that in mind, Juventus cannot afford to underestimate the size of the task at hand.
Match Preview
Juventus
Juventus head into proceedings winless in their last two outings (D1, L1), having won five in a row beforehand. Scoring is becoming an issue for Allegri’s team. They’ve netted precisely once in their last four competitive games.
However, one goal may do the trick here, with the Bianconeri winning their last three European fixtures without conceding. Yet, you’d need to go back to the 2016/17 Champions League campaign for the last time they won four on the trot without a replay.
Allegri’s men should still take the field in a buoyant mood, all too aware of the fact they’ve never lost a home match in the Europa League (W6, D7). Another significant confidence booster is that they’re unbeaten in their last eight competitive contests in Turin (W6, D2), a run stretching back to the beginning of February.
Player to Watch: Angel Di Maria
Angel Di Maria has flourished in the Europa League knockouts thus far, racking four goals already, including his potential ‘Puskas Award’ nominee against Nantes in the playoff round. The Argentine winger has been a pleasure to watch since moving to Turin.
Sporting CP
Despite pulling off a dramatic 4-3 win over 10-man Casa Pia at the weekend, Sporting’s chances of securing a Champions League berth in the Primeira Liga look far-fetched. As such, their best shot at elite European football next season rests upon their Europa League run.
But Sporting will have to defy history as they touch down in Turin carrying the burden of going winless on their last 15 European visits to meet Italian clubs (D4, L11). That run ominously includes a 2-1 defeat at Juventus in the 2017/18 Champions League group stages.
Against this backdrop, Amorim’s men have only lost one of their last six away games in European football (W2, D3), recording three clean sheets during that stretch. Moreover, since going down at domestic rivals Maritimo in their first away game of 2023, Sporting haven’t lost any of their last nine competitive outings on hostile turf (W6, D3).
Player to Watch: Pedro Goncalves
Like Di Maria, Sporting talisman Pedro Goncalves made the headlines with a brilliant goal against Arsenal in the round of 16. Before scoring from the halfway line in London, the so-called ‘Pote’ netted for Los Leoes in a 4-0 demolition of Midtjylland in Denmark.
Team News
Juventus will be without long-term absentee Paul Pogba. He’s still in the treatment room with a muscle injury. Leandro Paredes won’t make the matchday squad following his well-publicized bust-up with manager Allegri during an open training session.
As for Sporting, this encounter will come too soon for attacking duo Jovane Cabral and Paulinho. Both players have yet to heal their muscle problems. Amorim will also be without his trusted midfielder Manuel Ugarte, who picked up a red card against Arsenal.
Juventus vs Sporting CP 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.
Sporting CP (3-4-3): Antonio Adan; Ousmane Diomande, Sebastian Coates, Jerry St. Juste; Ricardo Esgaio, Pedro Goncalves, Hidemasa Morita, Matheus Reis; Marcus Edwards, Youssef Chermiti, Francisco Trincao.
Juventus vs Sporting CP Prediction
Despite Sporting’s impressive overall performance against Arsenal, we expect Juventus to put their experience to good use and walk away with an all-important first-leg advantage.
Prediction: Juventus Win
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