What: Champions League – Round of 16
Who: Juventus (3) vs Celtic (0) (first leg scores in brackets)
When: Wednesday 6th March, 2013, at 19:45 UK Time
Where: Juventus Stadium, Turin, Italy
Juventus Returning to Europe’s Elite
Juventus’ run in this season’s Champions League looks set to continue well into March, catapulting them back into Europe’s elite after years away on the sidelines as a result of the 2006 Calciopoli affair. Tonight they defend not just a 3-0 home advantage against the Scottish champions, but also an unbeaten record in Europe which dates back to 2010, when they were beaten by Fulham. Perhaps more ominously, Juventus have won all of the 34 European ties in which they have held a first leg advantage from the away leg. They also have not conceded a goal in 360 minutes in European action.
There is little sign that these records will come under threat from Neil Lennon’s side. Celtic worked hard in the first leg in Glasgow, but for all their running and no little possession, they rarely threatened the resolute Juventus backline. The Italian giants controlled the game masterly and were ruthless on the counter-attack as they sauntered to victory.
Domestically, things are going swimmingly for Juventus. The 1-1 draw against Napoli on Friday night leaves them six points clear at the top of Serie A and looking odds on to retain the title they won unbeaten last year.
Antonio Conte’s men have been boosted by the return of Giorgio Chiellini, whose steadying influence in defence has been missed, although the Bianconeri have put a mid-season wobble behind them convincingly. They are a team few will relish meeting if, as expected, they cruise through to the last eight here.
Celtic Bidding for Turin Miracle
For the reasons set out above and more, Celtic are bidding to achieve the impossible when they step out in Turin this evening. The Scottish champions will have to do it without captain Scott Brown, who is suffering from a muscle problem picked up in the first leg of this tie, as well as Mikael Lustig.
The best Celtic can probably hope for is a victory which gives them the chance to exit Europe on a high. They have impressed everyone already and performed beyond expectations in a campaign which has seen them win in Moscow and beat Barcelona. But the Bhoys have not won in their previous nine visits to Italy and it will take something monumental to change that stat.
The faintest glimmer of hope is offered by the memory of a clash with Dynamo Moscow in the qualifiers for the 2009/10 competition, when Celtic overturned a first leg deficit from the home game to win on aggregate. This is self-evidently more monumental than that task. With the domestic league practically won, sitting 16 points clear at the top of the table, Celtic can afford to throw everything at this game in the hope of pulling off their miracle. No one will be expecting anything more than the limp resistance of the first leg though.
Recent form
Juventus:
Roma 1-0 Juventus (16/02; Serie A)
Juventus 3-0 Siena (24/02; Serie A)
Napoli 1-1 Juventus (01/03; Serie A)
Celtic:
Celtic 5-0 Dundee (24/02; Scottish Premier League)
Motherwell 2-1 Celtic (27/02; Scottish Premier League)
St Mirren 1-2 Celtic (02/03; Scottish Cup)
Key absences
Juventus: Martin Caceres
Celtic: Scott Brown; Michael Lustig; Tony Watt; Charlie Mulgrew (doubt)
Players to watch
Juventus – Paul Pogba: It would be no surprise if Conte rests key players for the Serie A title race in this game; Pogba then may well get a run out, having performed so well domestically this season. With five goals in 19 appearances and a particularly spectacular strike against Udinese recently, Pogba has the ability to dominate matches with his combination of power and skill. The former Manchester United starlet will relish the chance to leave his mark on this game.
Celtic – Victor Wanyama: If Celtic are to have any chance they need Wanyama to have a big game. The Scottish side do not have the players to pass their way around the Italian side and must try and force their way through by sheer will. The powerful Kenyan is the best suited to trying to break down the solid Juventus midfield, his combination of strength and technique a crucial tool. And with six goals to his name this season, he pops up with decisive contributions at key moments too, such as against Barcelona in the group stage.
Match Prediction
Juventus’ usual system should pose problems for Celtic as it did in the first leg in Glasgow. Back then Celtic used their usual 4-3-3 system to try and combat the Italian side’s back three. The blunt problem for the Scottish side was that matching up three forwards to the Italian side’s three-man defence failed because of the quality of the Juventus backline. And once Juventus had the ball, they had two full-backs with space, and combined with their front two of Alessandro Matri and Mirko Vucinic, this meant Celtic were defending four against four at the back themselves. It was therefore no surprise that Juventus’ superior personnel were able to win the game comfortably.
Lennon may be tempted to try something else in the return and a 3-4-3 could be the answer, meaning Celtic can outnumber Juventus’ attackers whilst pushing back their full-backs. But will the Northern Irishman be willing to take such a risk from the start? Either way, they will look to push Juventus back into their own half, but this is something the Italians will be comfortable with. Expect stubborn a typically brave Scottish resistance, but an all too predictable outcome in the end. Juventus 2-1 Celtic.
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