Juventus hold a slim advantage as they travel to Sporting CP for their Europa League quarter-final final second leg.
Sporting CP will be disappointed to have come away empty-handed from the first leg after dominating much of the contest. They drew saves from the goalkeeper while Nuno Santos had a ball cleared off the line as they lost 1-0.
While the performance will give Sporting CP hopes of a turnaround on Thursday, the result is consistent with their erratic form in recent weeks. They have won just once in their last four matches, playing out two draws in that run, including a 1-1 scoreline against Arouca in a Primeira Liga fixture last Sunday.
Sporting CP will be relying on their solid home record to give them the edge on Sunday having gone unbeaten in their last six matches at the Estadio Jose Alvalade. However, three of those matches have ended in draws while Ruben Amorim’s men have also been held in their last two home matches in the Europa League.
Juventus will consider themselves lucky to have come away with that 1-0 win in the first leg. Federico Gatti’s second half effort proved to be the difference but they were under pressure for much of the contest with Gleison Bremer even making a clearance off the line.
Massimiliano Allegri’s men travel to Portugal off the back of a 1-0 defeat at Sassuolo in Serie A last Sunday.
The good news for Juventus is that they remain solid in the Europa League and have won their last four matches. That run has been driven by a sturdy defence that has kept clean sheets in all four wins and can minimise the damage in Thursday’s clash.
How the bookies view it
Sporting CP have the edge among the bookies with a home win priced at 13/10 by Unibet. A victory for Juventus is valued at 23/10 by bet365 while a draw is also set at odds of 23/10 by Betfred.
Head to head
Juventus have a 2-1 edge with one draw from four previous matches against Sporting CP. That draw came in the most recent meeting at the Stadio Jose Alvalade as both teams played out a 1-1 scoreline in a Champions League fixture in 2017.
Players to watch
Sporting CP will be keen to set things right on Thursday following all the missed chances in the first leg. Pedro Gonçalves has three goals in his last four Europa League matches and will be the one to watch at 13/5 by Unibet.
Juventus are likely to set up to protect their lead but with Sporting CP expected to play on the front foot, the Turin club will be keen to capitalise on fast breaks. Angel Di Maria could play a pivotal role for the visitors and with four goals in his last five Europa League matches, could be worth keeping an eye in at 24/5 with Unibet.
Anything else catch the eye?
With Sporting CP likely to crank up the pressure on the Juventus backline and the Turin club looking to play on the break, both teams could be back to score at evens with William Hill. There was a halftime draw in the first leg and a repeat is priced at 21/20 by bet365.
Both teams have had some late showings in recent weeks, so the second half can be tipped to produce the most goals at 6/5 with Paddy Power.
This UEFA Europa League match between Sporting CP and Juventus will be played on Apr 20, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Sporting CP vs Juventus prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
