Sporting vs Juventus Prediction, Odds, Lineups Europa League Picks

Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook on April 20.

Sporting vs Juventus Over/Under and Spread

With the benchmark set at 2.5 goals in the game, the bookies have listed the under at -160 and the over at a more tempting +125, reflective of how close and low-scoring the first leg was.

Sporting vs Juventus Preview

Sporting’s 1-0 defeat in Turin ended an impressive run of 11 games without defeat in all competitions but also continued a less-impressive run of 16 games in Italy without a win. Ruben Amorim’s men now need to rediscover the form that saw them record Europa League wins over Arsenal and Midtjylland if they are to progress.

While they are still in with a chance of Champions League qualification for next season – they currently sit fourth in the Primeira Liga – their chances of winning the Portuguese title are long gone, and so the Europa League offers them their only realistic chance of top-level silverware this season.

Poor Recent Euro Home Form

At the weekend, their underwhelming domestic form continued with a disappointing home draw with fifth-placed Arouca – Pedro Goncalves eventually rescuing a point for them with a late equalizer – but, in mitigation, Sporting clearly had one eye already on this huge European night.

Recent history is against them though as they have been knocked out of the last five European ties where they have lost the first leg, and not since their win over Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League back in September have they won a European tie on home soil.

Stormy Clouds for the Old Lady

Juve’s narrow 1-0 win in the first leg – Federico Gatti getting the all-important goal in the 73rd minute – has given them the edge but this tie remains on a knife edge. The Old Lady was unable to use that momentum at the weekend when they disappointingly lost away to Sassuolo but, like Sporting, one eye will have likely been on this game.

Off the field, it has been a stormy season for Juve, with on-field matters being overshadowed by off-field troubles that cost them a 15-point deduction, and they currently lie down in seventh in Serie A. Their recent league form is a concern, with the Sassuolo defeat following another league loss at the hands of Lazio.

Good Euro Form for Juve

But in Europe, Juve has thrived recently. Since disastrously exiting the Champions League, they have now won four on the spin without conceding a goal – their best European run since back in 2013. In that mini-run they have beaten both Nantes and Freiburg and a draw or win here would set up a semi-final against Manchester United or Sevilla.

With a place in next season’s Champions League on offer to the winners of this competition, a club the size of Juve’s stature simply has no option but to go all out to lift the Europa League trophy. Only then could it be considered an acceptable campaign.

Sporting vs Juventus Team Lineups and Injuries

Sporting Projected Lineup: Adan, Inacio, Coates, Diomande, Esgaio, Goncalves, Morita, Reis, Edwards, Chermiti, Trincao.

Injuries & absences: Paulinho, Braganca, Cabral.

Juventus Projected Lineup: Szczesny, Gatti, Bremer, Danilo, Cuadrado, Fagioli, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic, Di Maria, Vlahovic.

Injuries & absences: Jorge, Kean.

Sporting vs Juventus Head-to-Head Stats

Sporting vs Juventus Prediction

Home advantage will have to be maximized if Sporting are to overturn the one-goal deficit, but Juve are past masters at seeing their way through tricky European ties.

An early goal for the Portuguese would make it interesting but I can see Juve keeping it super-tight and earning the draw they need to go through.

Sporting vs Juventus Picks: The draw (+235) / Under 2.5 goals (-160)