Prediction: Juventus vs Freiburg

Prediction: Juventus to win 2-0

Best Odds: 6/1

Bookmaker: Betfair

Juventus and Freiburg will face each other in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 tie in Turin on Thursday evening. The match between the Italian club and the Bundesliga outfit will be held at Juventus Stadium and is scheduled to kick off at 8pm UK time on Thursday.

Juventus

Juventus are one of the biggest clubs in Italy and Europe, but things have not been great for the former Serie A and UEFA Champions League winners this season. The Bianconeri were nowhere near the Serie A title  race before they were handed a 15-point penalty for off-pitch problems, and they were also unceremoniously dumped out of the UEFA Champions League at the group stage.

Massimiliano Allegri’s side are as low as seventh in the Serie A table at the moment with 35 points from 25 matches. Juventus are 30 points behind leaders Napoli and 12 points behind AS Roma, who are currently fourth in the standings and occupy the final UEFA Champions League spot. Juventus finished third in UEFA Champions League Group H this season with just three points behind six matches.

Juventus had to face French club Nantes in the UEFA Europa League Knockout Round tie. The Bianconeri were held to a 1-1 draw by Nantes in the first leg in Turin, but they won the second leg 3-0 in France. Juve then beat Torino 4-2 at Juventus Stadium in the Turin derby before losing 1-0 to AS Roma away from home at Stadio Olimpico in Rome in Serie A last weekend.

Team News:

Federico Chiesa and Paul Pogba came off the bench for Juventus against AS Roma, and the winger and the midfielder could start for Allegri’s team against Freiburg. Arkadiusz Milik is unavailable. Dusan Vlahovic and Angel Di Maria will start for Juventus.

Freiburg

Freiburg are an established club in the Bundesliga, and they are having a wonderful season. Breisgau-Brasilianer are challenging for a UEFA Champions League spot in the Bundesliga table this season, and they have also progressed to the knockout rounds of the UEFA Europa League. Things are looking very rosy for the German club right now

Christian Streich’s side are fifth in the Bundesliga table at the moment with 42 points from 23 matches. Freiburg are level on points with fourth-placed RB Leipzig and two points behind third-placed 1. FC Union Berlin. In fact, leaders and defending champions Bayern Munich are ‘only’ seven points ahead of them.

Freiburg finished at the top of UEFA Europa League Group G this season with 14 points from six matches, as many as five points ahead of second-placed Nantes. That Nantes could hold Juventus to a draw in Turin should encourage Freiburg in their quest to beat the Italian giants in the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 tie.

Team News:

Michael Gregoritsch was sidelined by tonsillitis at the weekend, but he could return to Christian Streich’s lineup on Thursday. Vincenzo Grifo will start. Ritsu Doan overcame illness to make the bench on Saturday and is also expected to come into the German club’s starting lineup. Daniel-Kofi Kyereh is out due to an ACL injury he suffered last month and will not play again this season.

Key Factors to Consider

• Juventus have won 4 of their last 6 competitive matches.
• Freiburg have won 3 of their last 6 competitive matches.
• Juventus have won 4 of their last 6 UEFA Europa League games.
• Juventus have conceded 20 goals in 25 Serie A games so far this season.
• Dusan Vlahovic is Juventus’s top scorer this season with 10 goals.

Conclusion

Freiburg are not as big a club as Juventus and do not have as good a team as the Italian outfit, but they are in brilliant form at the moment and are having a wonderful season. Even though Juve are at home, Freiburg will fancy their chances of picking up at least a point. However, Juve have top-class players, who will get the job done in front of their own fans.

Prediction: Juventus to win 2-0

Best Odds: 6/1

Bookmaker: Betfair