Juventus are looking to snap out of their early season slump as they host Benfica in a UEFA Champions League Group H fixture on Wednesday. Benfica have impressed so far this season and have the quality to take advantage of the Turin club's problems.
Juventus began their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 defeat at PSG. A slow start saw them fall two goals down before the half hour mark and despite pulling one back through Weston McKennie, failed to complete the comeback.
Things appear to be worsening for Juventus, who have now claimed one win from their last five matches across all competitions. Massimiliano Allegri’s men were held to held to a 2-2 draw in their Serie A fixture on Sunday with Leonardo Bonucci scoring a late equaliser.
Juventus’ campaign has been hampered by injury problems with the likes of Angel Di Maria, Paul Pogba and Federico Chiesa already missing a large chunk of the season. In addition to all of this, the Serie A side has also struggled defensively and have fallen behind in their last two matches.
While Juventus are still struggling to find their rhythm, Benfica have made a flying start to the campaign. They have a 100% record across all competitions this season and are two points clear at the top of the Primeira Liga.
Benfica began their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 victory over Maccabi Haifa with Rafa Silva and Alex Grimaldo getting the goals. That was the fifth straight win in the competition for Roger Schmidt’s men who came through the qualifying rounds.
The Portuguese giants also have a solid away record in the Champions League and are unbeaten in their last five matches on the road. They have won at Ajax in that run while also playing out draws with Barcelona and Liverpool.
How the bookies view it
Despite their problems this season, Juventus are still considered overwhelming favourites among the bookies with a home win priced at 11/9 with SBK. A victory for Benfica is valued at 5/2 with Unibet, who is also offering odds of 13/5 for a draw.
Head to head
Benfica have never lost to Juventus, claiming one win and three draws from four previous meetings. Both teams played out a 1-1 draw in a preseason friendly back in 2018.
Players to watch
Dusan Vlahovic has made a solid start to the season despite Juventus struggles at the moment. The Serbian striker has found the net four times already and could be backed to get on the score sheet on Wednesday at 7/5 with bet365.
Rafa Silva has become a major goal threat for Benfica, from his position behind the striker. The attacker has scored in his last two matches and is priced at 15/4 by bet365 to find the net on Wednesday.
Anything else catch the eye?
Juventus and Benfica have plenty of quality in attack and both teams could be backed to score at 14/19 with SBK. With the Turin club going behind in their last two matches, Benfica could be backed to score first at 11/8 with bet365.
Both teams have had some late showings lately and could be backed to score in the second half at 9/4 with bet365. The second half could also be tipped to produce the most goals at 11/10 with Paddy Power.
This UEFA Champions League match between Juventus and Benfica will be played on Sep 14, 2022 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Juventus vs Benfica prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
