Champions League Preview: Juventus vs Sporting CP – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Juventus resume their underwhelming Champions League campaign today with a must-win home clash against Sporting CP. Allianz Stadium sets the stage for Luciano Spalletti’s first European match in charge of the club.

It’s been a busy week for the Turin giants as they parted ways with underperforming boss Igor Tudor following a dreadful eight-game winless run in all competitions. Interim boss Massimo Brambilla inspired Juventus to a morale-boosting 3-1 home win over Serie A strugglers Udinese last week.

Then, Spalletti enjoyed a dream touchline debut as Juventus saw off newcomers Cremonese 2-1 on the road, building a head of steam ahead of Sporting’s visit. Failure is not an option for the former Scudetto winner, as the record-time Italian champions sit outside the playoff spots before the kick-off.

Indeed, the Bianconeri have only won two points in the opening three league-phase rounds (D2, L1), most recently slumping to a narrow 1-0 defeat at Real Madrid. In stark contrast, Sporting have fared reasonably well, sandwiching a 2-1 away loss to Juventus’ bitter rivals Napoli with a pair of home victories.

In addition to a landslide 4-1 victory over debutants Kairat Almaty, the reigning Primeira Liga champions overturned a halftime deficit on their way to beating Olympique Marseille 2-1 last time out. However, Sporting’s hopes of securing an unlikely top-eight finish rest on Rui Borges’ ability to address their travel sickness.

Match Preview

Juventus

This clash has all the makings of a ‘make or break’ contest for Juventus. With only two points to their name, Spalletti’s men desperately need a win here to reignite their pursuit of knockout qualification. With that in mind, this upcoming encounter against Sporting seems perfectly timed.

For perspective, Juventus have gone unbeaten in all four historic meetings with the Portuguese powerhouse (W2, D2). It’s also worth noting that both wins arrived in Turin, albeit by narrow single-goal margins, highlighting just how closely contested these encounters have been.

Maintaining their flawless home record against Sporting feels imperative, as Juventus bid to arrest a woeful four-game winless run in the Champions League (D2, L2). Ominously, that’s their worst streak at Europe’s top table since 2013. On the bright side, they’ve been formidable at the Allianz Stadium this term.

Despite recent managerial shifts, Allianz remains a fortress, with Juventus avoiding defeat in their last ten home outings across all competitions (W7, D3), including a nerve-wracking 4-4 draw against Borussia Dortmund in their most recent Champions League game in Turin.

Sporting CP

Sporting’s impressive five-game winning streak in all competitions, bookended by a 2-0 home victory over domestic minnows Alverca at the weekend, faces a stern test here. Indeed, the visitors have notoriously struggled on their continental travels, as most recently witnessed by their loss in Naples.

While that defeat remains their only road failure since February, Borges’ charges have fared poorly on their Champions League trips. Indeed, Los Leones have managed just one victory in their last 24 away games in this competition against sides from Europe’s top-five leagues (D4, L19).

As if that’s not concerning enough, Sporting’s disastrous away record against Italian clubs paints an ever bleaker picture. They have won none of their 19 historical meetings with Serie A sides on this soil (D5, L14), highlighting the magnitude of the task awaiting Borges’ team today.

However, Sporting can draw confidence from their free-scoring sequence, as they’ve netted at least two goals in five consecutive matches. Moreover, it’s also worth noting that five of their last five away fixtures produced over 2.5 goals, underscoring the potential for a high-scoring clash.

Team News

Long-term absentees Juan Cabal, Gleison Bremer, and Arkadiusz Milik remain on the sidelines. Yet, Juventus can find comfort in Kenan Yildiz’s return from injury after missing out on the Cremonese game. Moreover, Lloyd Kelly could also be at Spalletti’s disposal after overcoming a minor muscle issue.

As for Sporting, Nuno Santos and Daniel Braganca are still in the treatment room, joined by Ivan Fresneda, who limped off on Friday night. First-choice defender Zeno Debast has yet to regain full fitness and will either watch the game from the stands or start on the bench.

Juventus vs Sporting CP Potential Starting Lineups

Juventus (3-5-2): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Rugani, Gatti; Cambiaso, Thuram, Locatelli, Koopmeiners, Kostic; Openda, Vlahovic.

Sporting CP (4-2-3-1): Silva; Vagiannidis, Diomande, Inacio, Araujo; Hjulmand, Morita; Quenda, Trincao, Goncalves; Suarez.

Juventus vs Sporting CP Prediction

With Spalletti on the bench, Juventus could turn into a different beast, and this clash might mark a turning point in their dreadful Champions League campaign. Given Sporting’s embarrassing record in Italy and a well-documented travel sickness, we back the Bianconeri to get off the mark in Europe.