Kick-off: 2000, 20/04/2023
Stadium: Estadio Jose Alvalade
TV: BT Sport
Juventus will take a hard-earned 1-0 advantage to Lisbon and are fancied to hold Sporting to a second-leg stalemate in the Europa League.
The Lions were very lively in Turin but drew against Midtjylland and Arsenal at Estadio Jose Alvalade in the previous two rounds.
Punters can get 23/10 for the scores to be level again here and that is our initial Sporting Lisbon vs Juventus prediction.
Amorim hoping Lions can roar
Sporting keeper Antonio Adan was tested by Federico Chiesa early on last week, while Wojciech Szczesny kept out efforts from Sebastian Coates and Pedro Goncalves in a goalless first half.
Juve suffered a scare when Szczesny was forced to go off but replacement Mattia Perin comfortably dealt with a long-range Goncalves shot.
The Bianconeri snatched the lead when Federico Gatti proved an unlikely match winner, poking home his first score for the club following a goalmouth scramble.
Perin pulled off an outstanding double save at the other end to deny Goncalves and substitute Hector Bellerin.
Ruben Amorim said: “We dominated and that was very clear, in the number of opportunities and in the control of the game.
“We didn’t let Juventus create too many chances, we defended well against high-quality players.
“We created several opportunities, but didn’t score a goal. It sums up our form a bit, but the good thing is that we have one more opportunity at home.”
That was Sporting’s only loss in 13 outings but Sunday’s Liga Portugal Bwin draw with Arouca at this venue will not scare Juve.
Looking at the Sporting Lisbon vs Juventus odds, we like 17/5 for a stalemate at half-time and full-time.
Allegri insists Juve ‘can improve’
Juve are relying on lifting this trophy to get back into the Champions League next season.
They were rocked by a deduction of 15 points in Serie A and away losses to Lazio and Sassuolo either side of beating Sporting make a top-four finish unlikely.
In fact, a poor domestic record on the road has featured six defeats from 15 outings, with only 13 goals scored and the same number conceded.
They also lost all three Champions League group-stage games away from home, but claimed convincing wins when visiting Nantes and Freiburg in this competition.
Reflecting on the opening encounter in Italy, head coach Massimiliano Allegri commented: “We made a few mistakes, the lads can improve.
“We did better in the second half with three midfielders, who gave us more width.
“Sporting pressed high and lost intensity as the game wore on, but it was a good performance; it wasn’t easy to win and to keep a clean sheet.”
Juve do have decent attacking options such as Dusan Vlahovic, Arkadiusz Milik and veteran playmaker Angel Di Maria.
However, a well-drilled and determined defence remains their best asset, which could come in handy here.
Let’s add 9/5 for there to be under 1.5 goals at Estadio Jose Alvalade to our Sporting Lisbon vs Juventus betting tips.
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