This Tuesday, Group D Champions League campaign starts with two very interesting duels – Barcelona vs. Juventus and Olympiakos vs. Sporting CP. The first one is probably the most interesting game of the whole evening, but the other game is bound to be packed with excitements, as well.
Revenge is a dish best served cold. Almost half a year has passed since Juve beat Barcelona 3-0, eliminating them from the Champions League. Messi and the gang are ready for a big payback on Tuesday evening! At the same time, Olympiakos plays their first official match against Sporting CP.
Barcelona vs. Juventus
Three-Way: 1: Barcelona -120; X: +309 Draw; 2: Juventus +420
Spread -0.5: Barcelona -128; Juventus +124
Total +2.5: Over -125; Under +120
BARCELONA
As always, Barcelona is considered one of the top favorites for winning the Champions League trophy. Last season, Juventus was the team that knocked them out in the quarter-finals. What this means is that Barca is looking for revenge.
In the last years’ quarter-finals doubleheader, Barcelona failed to score a single goal against the Italian champion. Juve beat them 3:0 in Italy, while the game at Camp Nou ended in a 0:0 draw. A lot of things have changed since, perhaps not for the better for Barcelona.
The biggest change is that Neymar is no longer in the team. The Brazilian forward became the most expensive player on the planet after PSG paid 222 million Euros for his transfer. Barcelona brought a promising French winger, Ousmane Dembélé as his replacement. A few other players joined the club, most notably Gerard Deulofeu and Paulinho.
Another big change that happened this summer is that Ernesto Valverde got appointed as the manager of Barcelona. So far, he’s been leading this team the right way. Three rounds of Spanish Primera have passed and Barcelona is on the top of the table with a hundred percent score. On top of that, their goal difference is impressive – 10:0.
Can they keep up with the good work now that Juve is coming to town? I think they can! After all, this match is played at Camp Nou, a place where this team wins most of the time. Actually, they lost only one game at their stadium in 2017, winning 19 out of possible 22 matches!
Another thing in favor of Barcelona is that most of their squad is injury free. In fact, all of their key men are fit and ready for the Champions League clash with Juve. The only players who will definitely miss this match are Arda Turan and Sergi Roberto.
JUVENTUS
Same as Barcelona, Juventus has also started this season in the fifth gear. After three rounds, this team is topping the Serie A table with 9 points. They also have an impressive goal difference, with 10 goals scored and only 2 allowed.
There were some big changes in the Juventus’ squad this summer, as well. One of the players crucial for the success in 2016/2017, Leonardo Bonucci, has left the club. He moved to AC Milan for € 42M. A few more players moved elsewhere, including Mario Lemina and Kingsley Coman.
However, it seems that Juve brought more than adequate replacements for those players. Höwedes came on a loan deal, same as Douglas Costa, while Matuidi, Bernadeschi, De Sciglio, Cuadrado, Szczęsny, and a few others joined the club permanently.
But, do these players have what it takes to beat Barcelona in the opening round of the Champions League campaign? Well, it’s not going to be easy, especially because Juventus will miss one of their best players, the legendary defender, Giorgio Chiellini. Without him on the team, Juve manager, Massimiliano Allegri, will probably go with three central defenders in the back line (Rugani, Benatia, Barzagli), something which he hasn’t done yet this season.
Barcelona vs. Juventus – Match Prediction
Although both sides have been playing very well lately, I think that Barcelona will have the upper hand in this clash. They have the quality on their side, not to mention that the match is played on their turf. Finally, Barca players are going to be super-motivated in this clash, as they’re looking to get their revenge for the last season’s defeat.
MY PICK: Barcelona to win (-120)
Olympiakos Piraeus vs. Sporting
Three-Way: 1: Olympiakos Piraeus +177; X: +225 Draw; 2: Sporting +200
Spread 0: Olympiakos Piraeus -111; Sporting +106
Total +2: Over -111; Under +114
OLYMPIAKOS PIRAEUS
Last Saturday, Olympiakos played 1:1 with Xanthi in the Greek Super League, in a match in which they were considered a major favorite. Still, regardless of that game, this team is still the number 1 favorite for winning the domestic competition. But, what about their chances in the Champions League? Surely, the chances of Olympiakos winning the Champions League trophy are close to zero, but can this team advance to the knockout stage?
I doubt that very much because they’re playing in the group D, together with Barcelona and Juventus. Still, their odds of getting a spot in the Europa League are not that bad. All they need to do is finish a spot above their next opponent, Sporting Lisbon.
What this implies is that Olympiakos will have to do well against the Portuguese team, especially in the match played in Greece. Olympiakos needs to take the advantage of playing at home, where they’ve always been very dangerous.
Olympiakos has lost only 2 games at their stadium this year, which is not a surprise knowing that they always have a massive support when playing at home. On top of that, Olympiakos has no worries with injuries, as all of their key players are fit for the match.
SPORTING
Same as Olympiakos, Sporting has also been in an amazing form in their domestic league. This team has won all matches in the Portuguese Primeira this season. The only reason why they’re not on the top of the table right now is that Benfica has a better goal difference.
The biggest strength of Sporting this season is their teamwork. Each player in their squad has been doing their best to provide the most for the team. That’s why it’s not a surprise that several of their players have scored over 3 goals in 5 league matches – Bruno Fernandes, Bast Dost, and Gelson Martins.
These three players have been crucial to Sporting’s success this season, but I must not forget their goalie, Rui Patricio, as well. He’s one of the men who deserve the praise for the fact that Sporting has allowed only 3 goals in the new season.
Same as Olympiakos, Sporting CP also has no injury worries. All of their players are fit and very motivated for the Tuesday’s game. In fact, they are extremely motivated to do well in the Champions League, as their last season’s performances were a complete disaster. Sporting CP ended on the bottom of the group table, with only 3 points after 6 matches.
Olympiakos Piraeus vs. Sporting – Match Prediction
Olympiakos might have the fans to give them support, but Sporting players have the quality on their side. I think the talent will be the decisive factor in this match, which is why I’m going with an away win.
MY PICK: Sporting to win (+200)
