One of the best from La Liga’s Primera Division, Villareal, hosts top Serie A squad Juventus in the first leg of a Round of 16 matchup on Tuesday, Feb. 22. Villareal enters Estadio de La Ceramica a slight favorite to get the edge over Massimiliano Allegri’s team. Will Juve surprise the favorite? Or will the home team get it done on their pitch? Keep reading for Champions League odds, analysis, and a free pick for Juventus at Villareal.
Juventus versus Villarreal | UCL Round of 16 Betting Odds for 1st Leg Match
Juventus at Villarreal: UCL Betting Info
- When: Tuesday, Feb. 22 at 3:00 pm ET
- Where: Estadio de La Ceramica, Villareal, Spain
Why bet on Juventus versus Villareal?
Juve is playing the type of defense for which Allegri is famous. In his first stint with Juventus, Allegri routinely got his team to the Champions League quarterfinals, semis, and in many cases, the finals. Juventus almost never had the better striker, but they always had the better defense. Expect Allegri to preach defense on Tuesday. The second match happens on Juve’s pitch. So Allegri knows that if he can escape Villareal with a 1-goal loss or draw, Juventus has the edge to win the aggregate.
Juventus Last 5
- D – 1-1 vs. Torino
- D – 1-1 vs. Atalanta
- W – 2-1 vs. Sassuolo
- W – 2-0 Hellas Verona
- D – 0-0 vs. AC Milan
Juventus predicted starting lineup
- Szczesny
- de Ligt
- Cuadrado
- De Sciglio
- Danilo
- Locatelli
- Arthur
- Kean
- Vlahovic
- Ake
- Dybala
Why bet on Villareal versus Juventus?
The home team is playing their best soccer of the season. Villareal has won 3-of-4. All 3 wins weren’t close. The 3-0 victory against Mallorca, the 2-0 win over Betis, and the 4-1 win against Granada is proof of how well Villareal is playing. Even the 0-0 draw against Real Madrid speaks to Villareal’s confidence. For the home team, this match couldn’t be happening at a better time.
Villareal Last 5
- W – 1-4 vs. Granada
- D – 0-0 vs. Real Madrid
- W – 0-2 vs. Real Betis
- W – 3-0 vs. Mallorca
- L – 1-0 vs. Elche
Villareal predicted starting lineup
- Rulli
- Torres
- Albiol
- Estupinan
- Foyth
- Iborra
- Parejo
- Moreno
- Pino
- Dia
- Aurier
Juventus vs Villareal Betting Analysis
Villareal is on fire, which makes them tough to beat. The home team has dominated in their previous 3 victories.
Juventus is going to find it difficult to stick with Villareal. First, Allegri plays a defensive style. Second, Federico Chiesa, Juve’s best striker, is out with a torn ACL.
Chiesa’s absence means Allegri can’t get into a shootout. Paula Dybala and the rest of the forwards won’t do enough to keep pace with Villareal’s attack. Luckily for Juventus’ fans, Allegri knows he’s at a disadvantage with is attack, which is why the Juve head coach won’t push forward too much.
Instead, Allegri will tell his team to hang back and hope for a goal on the counter attack. If it happens, great. If it doesn’t, Juventus won’t worry. The second leg happens in Turin.
So leaving Spain with a draw is perfectly okay. Juventus should get what they seek. Expect Allegri to play a possession game that involves counter attacks if available, but not to push too much. The draw is a real possibility.
Champions League Pick: Draw
