Monaco have a mountain to climb when they face Juventus on Tuesday in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-finals tie. The Serie A champions recorded a solid 2-0 victory in the first leg last week, so Monaco will need a big win at Juventus Stadium to reach the final. The task seems even more difficult after looking at Monaco's history against Serie A teams, they have never managed to beat a team from Italy on Italian soil in an European competition.
Juventus seem to have slowed things down in Serie A, they recorded two consecutive draws in their last couple of matches, but the title is still almost secured for Massimiliano Allegri's men. Moreover, their defensive record is quite impressive: they have not conceded in the Champions League in their last six matches and they have conceded two goals in a single home match just once in the last fifteen months! Sami Khedira returns from suspension, and the players that were rested at the weekend will also be back in the first eleven.
Monaco bounced back from the Champions League defeat with a 3-0 Ligue 1 victory at Nancy last weekend, which means they hold a three-point advantage at the top of the table with a game in hand on Paris Saint-Germain. The Ligue 1 title is theirs to lose now, but the Champions League final seems just a dream considering the first leg result. Benjamin Mendy is a fitness doubt for the visitors, while Boschilia and Almamy Toure are still sidelined by injuries. Tiemoue Bakayoko was rested at the weekend and he will surely be part of the first eleven on Tuesday.
Probable line-ups:
Juventus: Buffon - Alves, Bonucci, Chiellini, Sandro - Pjanic, Khedira - Cuadrado, Dybala, Mandzukic - Higuain
Monaco: Subasic - Dirar, Jemerson, Glik, Sidibe - B. Silva, Fabinho, Bakayoko, Lemar - Mbappe, Falcao
My prediction: Juventus to win 2-1.
Here are the odds for the match at Bet365:
Juventus win - 1.67
Draw - 4.00
Monaco win - 5.75
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Comments (1)
sharpe
06/04/17, 11:06:47 PM
I think Juventus showed Monaco what the experience means, the new French champions were flying high by the time and have played some flawless football but they were...
I think Juventus showed Monaco what the experience means, the new French champions were flying high by the time and have played some flawless football but they were ano match to Juventus tactical play I think. In the end it' wasn't a surprise that the Italians made it trough - they are a lot more experienced side too so the end result was clear even after the first game.
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