Sevilla-Juventus is a match valid for the return leg of the Europa League semifinals and is played Thursday at 9 p.m.: free-to-air TV, lineups, predictions.
Juventus was in danger of having to restart with a one-goal disadvantage in the Andalusian away match, but taking the chestnuts out of the fire for the Bianconeri a week ago was again Federico Gatti, already decisive in the first leg of the quarterfinals with Sporting.
A header by the former Frosinone defender as time expired allowed the Old Lady to equalize En-Nesyri’s goal, scored in the first half-hour of the match. It was an icy shower for Sevilla, who were convinced they had made a splash at the Stadium. A big sigh of relief instead for Massimiliano Allegri, who in Spain will now not be forced to come back and win by two goals. It starts again at 1-1. Whoever scores one goal more advances to the next round and that is perhaps why the Livorno coach called it a “final,” which does not put the Europa League up for grabs but a pass to the last act in Budapest, where the winner will face one of Roma or Bayer Leverkusen. Perhaps the most important match of the season for Danilo and his teammates, who in the bowl of the “Sanchez Pizjuan” will play an entire season. Juventus, despite being second in the standings with an eight-point lead over fifth-placed Milan, will very soon have to deal with a new penalty for the capital gains case. That, in fact, will oust it from the top four: the only way to qualify for the Champions League, therefore, is precisely to win the Europa League.
An impregnable fortress?
To beat a team as hostile as Sevilla in its own stadium will require a real feat: in front of their own public, Jose Luis Mendilibar’s men have never lost during the knockout stage, smashing eight goals in total against Psv Eindhoven, Fenerbahçe and Manchester United and, hear hear, without conceding a single one.
En-Nesyri’s exultation in the first leg.
Juventus will also have to take the field with a very different, less conservative and wait-and-see attitude. The first leg performance was all in all disappointing, especially in the first half, with the Andalusians holding the ball of the game and remaining in control of the match for a long time. Since the new coach on the bench, who replaced Sampaoli in March while the team was grappling with a chilling league table, it has been a different Sevilla. The red and white over the last weekend won their second game in a row in La Liga, overwhelming Real Valladolid 3-0 away and staying in the race for seventh place, the only one still attainable. It goes without saying, however, that the big goal now is the Europa League. A competition that Sevilla has won six times in the past and which also represents a pass to the Champions League, unreachable through the league. Juventus is also fresh off a victory, as it took a 2-0 win over moribund Cremonese on Sunday thanks to goals from Fagioli and Bremer.
Against the grigiorossi, Allegri lost Pogba again – the Frenchman ended his season – who will be absent in Seville as will De Sciglio and Bonucci. In the Bianconeri attack Di Maria and Vlahovic will play, with the ballot between Fagioli and Miretti in midfield. In Sevilla, Suso, Nianzou, Marcao and Jordan are absent, while Ocampos, who left with a physical problem in the first leg, is in doubt. The former Milan man is expected to grit his teeth.
The prediction
Another chess match looms as in the first leg, with Sevilla trying to take the initiative. For the bookmakers, the Bianconeri start as slight underdogs, but despite shining little at the level of play they have champions in the squad capable of deciding the match at any moment. It cannot be ruled out that it will come to extra time, in a challenge that is unlikely to provide entertainment: the total goals could be less than four.
The probable lineups of Sevilla-Juventus
- SEVILLE (4-2-3-1): Bounou; Jesus Navas, Badé, Gudelj, Acuña; Fernando, Rakitić; Ocampos, Oliver Torres, Bryan Gil; En-Nesyri.
- JUVENTUS (3-5-1-1): Szczęsny; Gatti, Bremer, Danilo; Cuadrado, Miretti, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostić; Di María; Vlahović.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-1
