Juventus VS Tottenham Hotspur Match Prediction
2018-02-13
19:45:00
Juventus
VS
Tottenham Hotspur
Our Prediction Tip
Juventus will win this match.
2018-02-1319:45:00 Juventus will win this match.
This will be the first competitive meeting between the two teams, but they have already met this season in a friendly at Wembley - Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen grabbing Spurs’ goals in a 2-0 win.
%HEAD-TO-HEAD-STATS-BANNER%Both sides go into this eagerly-awaited Champions League clash in good form, but the hosts have not lost a home game in this competition since 2013.
That fact, combined with their hugely impressive defensive record - with just one goal conceded in their last 16 games in all competitions - makes it hard to look past the hosts for Tuesday's game.
If anybody can break down Juventus' backline, Spurs would be among the leading contenders - they do boast, after all, one of the most in-form strikers in Europe in Harry Kane; the Englishman has already passed 30 goals for the season.
Barcelona are among the teams to have travelled to Turin and failed to score this season, however, and Max Allegri will be confident of countering Spurs' attacking threat.
At the other end, Liverpool scored twice against Tottenham in recent weeks and Manchester City hammered four past them in December, but Mauricio Pochettino's side usually boast a good defensive record too.
There will be little to choose between the two teams, as a result, but a narrow Juventus win - particularly with Gonzalo Higuain in good form up front too - is on the cards.
Juventus' hugely impressive home record makes them favourites for this game, but they can still be backed at evens with Bet365, Ladbrokes and Betfair.
Given their defensive record - no goals conceded in their last 16 matches - not even the presence of Harry Kane can swing the odds on a both teams to score bet. Bet365, Ladbrokes and Betfair have all set 'no' at 4/5.
A Juventus win to nil - given the two factors above - is 21/10 with Bet365 and Ladbrokes: very generous odds.
Gonzalo Higuain is 7/5 with Betfair to score at any time - he has six in his last four games and 18 for the season so far.
Finally, with very little between the two teams, a Juventus 1-0 win is 11/2 with Bet365 and William Hill.
There is very little between the two teams on paper, but in Turin at least the hosts are rightfully favourites. A superb home record and an impenetrable defence just about swings things in Juventus' favour.
Paulo Dybala and Andrea Barzagli are injury doubts for Tuesday's match, and will join Juan Cuadrado, Benedikt Howedes and Blaise Matuidi on the sidelines. Dybala has been out for a month already, and Max Allegri has promised not to take any rusks with his fitness, while Barzagli picked up a calf problem in the most recent game against Fiorentina. Veteran keeper Gianluigi Buffon is fit again, however, and has started the last two league games.
Gonzalo Higuain scored his 50th Juventus goal in Friday's win at Fiorentina, and the Argentine striker now has six goals in his last four games - and 18 for the season. Mario Mandzukic has scored four goals in his last five Champions League matches, meanwhile. At the other end of the pitch, Giorgio Chiellini and Medhi Benatia are proving an unbreakable defensive unit.
Juventus are unbeaten in their last 16 games in all competitions, winning 14 of those and conceding just one goal. They geared up for the match with Spurs by beating Fiorentina 2-0 on Friday night - Filippo Bernadeschi and Gonzalo Higuain scoring the goals. Their most recent home game, meanwhile, saw Sassuolo hit for seven at the Allianz Stadium, with Higuain bagging three of them.
Toby Alderweireld has not travelled with the team to Turin, as he continues to work on his fitness after a lengthy injury lay-off. Though he played 90 minutes as Spurs beat Newport County in their FA Cup replay, the Belgian was omitted from the squad which faced Arsenal last weekend and remains on the sidelines. Danny Rose has also not been rushed back, and Ben Davies is likely to continue at left-back in his place. New signing Lucas Moura must continue to wait for his debut, meanwhile - the new signing is eligible to play, having not featured in the competition for PSG this year, but is yet to force his way into Spurs' starting XI.
Harry Kane has netted 32 goals in 33 games this season, while there have been plenty of contributions from the three men behind him - Dele Alli scoring nine and assisting 11, Christian Eriksen bagging eight of each and Heung-Min Son complementing his 11 goals with eight assists.
Tottenham extended their recent unbeaten run to 12 matches, and have still not lost since a comprehensive defeat at the hands of Premier League leaders Manchester City in December. Last time out, Spurs beat Arsenal in the North London Derby - Harry Kane grabbing the goal, having also rescued a late point with his stoppage-time equaliser at Liverpool the previous week. Tottenham have also beaten Manchester United 2-0 in recent weeks, but needed a replay to see off League Two Newport County in the FA Cup.
Watch Live Streaming