Three straight seasons have seen Sevilla get into the Champions League the hard way, fighting through the Europa League to ultimately snare the coveted spot in this field as the tourney champs. Three straight seasons have also seen Sevilla bow out as a third place team at the group stage. The big problem the Spanish side always seems to have is getting results in matches like this one against a big boy team like Juventus, particularly on the road. Opportunity will be knocking once again on Wednesday night in Turin.
Don't miss the Champions League action from Juventus Stadium at 2:45 p.m. ET on Wednesday, September 14, 2016. Catch every moment of the match live on ESPN2.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
Juventus -170
Sevilla +550
Draw +290
Over/Under 2.5
Odds Analysis
There's no doubt that Juve has the better of these two teams, but the margin probably isn't quite as big as you'd think. The Spanish sides have truly dominated these international competitions over the course of the last few years, and that has to be a cause for concern for anyone that assumes the Old Lady will end up dominating this match. This isn't the same Juve team that has won this tournament before, and it wouldn't be a huge shock to see it bounced out of a very tough Group H in the opening round.
However, thanks to the club's name more than anything else, Juventus is laying -170 on the moneyline, a large margin for a UCL match that legitimately could end up going any of the three possible ways.
Key Players
The man who has to keep everything safe and sound for Juventus is clearly net minder, Gianluigi Buffon. The Italian is certainly towards the end of his career, but he's still playing at a very high level for the Old Lady, and for as long as he's making brilliant saves as he did against Sassuolo over the weekend, he's going to be the man in the pipes in Turin. The Juventus defense hasn't been stellar by any stretch of the imagination, and breakdowns are coming far too often. Buffon has covered said mistakes quite well as he has for his entire career, but Sevilla is too dangerous to allow too many chances to.
The midfield at Sevilla is awfully unsettled right now. The only man to start in all three La Liga matches is Steven N'Zonzi, and he's going to have to play a bigger role as a playmaker for the men at the front. He's been great at times but has rarely been threatening at the target. That's not his primary agenda with Sevilla, but whether it's Luciano Vietto or Franco Vazquez making runs, it's his job to make sure the ball ends up in the right spot in the final third time and time again.
Recent Form
Juve has literally had the dream start to the season. The team has played just three competitive matches, and all three against Fiorentina, Lazio and Sassuolo have been won. The team has outscored its foes 6-2 in that span, and Massimilano Allegri has to be thrilled with the results.
Sevilla has managed seven points out of a possible nine in La Liga. The only draw came against Villarreal on the road, a minor setback that won't be looked upon too poorly. The more damning result might have been a 6-4 win over Espanyol. On one hand, netting six goals is a tremendous accomplishment. On the other, allowing four to Espanyol shows just how vulnerable this team can be at the back.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
We haven't talked about Gonzalo Higuain yet, but he's been fantastic for the Old Lady thus far this year. He bagged a brace against Sassuolo to open his ledger for the season, but at times, he's just looked like he's pressing too much in the final third.
Most are going to look at the names on the backs of the Juve jerseys and the form of these two teams and jump to conclusions. We aren't so naïve. Spanish soccer is just worlds better than Italian soccer right now, and there's a real possibility that these two teams split the spoils in their opening match in Group H.
Champions League Odds: Juventus 0, Sevilla 0
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