FC Barcelona vs. Juventus Preview
Where: Juventus Stadium – Turin, Italy
When: Tuesday, April 19, 2017 – 2:45 PM ET
Line: Barcelona -130 vs Juventus +110 (tie: +325) – total: 3.0 – view all Champions League lines
TV Broadcast: FOX Sports 1, FOX Deportes
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Betting on Barcelona (-130)
Barcelona headed to last week’s first leg game with great pride and confidence, as they boasted a record-breaking 10th-straight UEFA quarter-finals appearance.
Unfortunately, though, it was their only highlight in the contest. They seem to lack rhythm and it was highlighted by Juventus casually blasting them for three unanswered goals.
Luis Enrique made certain adjustments on the defensive scheme when they trailed 2-0 just 22 minutes into the match, switching from a 3-4-3 to a 4-3-3, which was a style that they are more accustomed to. The change did led to some scoring opportunities at first, but it just wasn’t their night. Lionel Messi, who has a tournament-leading 11 goals, along with scoring partners Neymar and Luis Suarez, simply had an off-night.
Barca could be an easy pick for the second leg, since they have won 15-straight home games at the Champions League tourney (one shy of matching the record). However, do note that they need at least three goals just to have a chance at a semi-final berth.
Betting on Juventus (+110)
The 3-0 shutout victory in the first leg was a great start. It’s the confidence-booster they need before visiting Barcelona on its home field. Juventus did a good job countering the defensive adjustments of the opposition, allowing them to keep the game out of reach.
Among the things worth noting in last week’s match is the progression of Paulo Dybala, which despite all of his attempts at deflection, can’t escape the comparisons to Messi, his fellow Argentinian.
Juventus’s 23-year-old star scored two of the team’s three goals, both of which were in the first half. The first came around the seven-minute mark, when he received a pass from Jan Cuadrado, turned around, and squeaked the ball through the right side of the goal, narrowly passing goalie Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The next came just 15 minutes after, as his shot once again evaded Stegen and found the back of the net.
Aside from Dyabala further decorating his resume to stardom, we also saw glimpses of Juve being a true elite team. The performances have been great overall, particularly on defense, as they have only given up two goals in Champions League play all season. Excluding Bayern Munich, no club appears to be a real threat in halting a deep Juventus title run.
Writer’s Prediction
Juve (+142) breaks Barca’s home winning streak, 3-2.
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