Is there any hope of Juventus lifting the Champions League trophy?
The bookies and pundits will tell you no but history has shown us that the Champions League semi-finals have a strange way of surprising.
At the time of writing, Juventus are outsiders of the four and available at a best-priced 9/1 with 32Red, Skybet and others to win outright. But recent seasons have shown us that when a team has reached the semi-final stages, pretty much anything is possible. That 9/1 may well be a decent value bet.
Juvé play reigning champions Real Madrid at home in the first leg on 5th May – and Real have looked surprisingly vulnerable already in the tournament. They were lucky to progress over the two legs against city rivals Atletico and, while they will be tough opponents, there are signs that Juve can beat them. If they do, anything can happen in the final and that 9/1 will be a long-distant memory. So, it could be a punt worth taking, especially if you can do so for free and for a decent stake at that.
And there may be a smarter way to do this than you would have thought. If you click here to play on mobile you will quickly see that you can benefit from some enormous percentage welcome bonuses at 32Red in the casino. If you can then retain sufficient stake to transfer to the sportsbook side of things, you could enjoy a decent bet on the Old Lady to become the first Italian side to lift the Champions League trophy since Jose Mourinho’s Internazionale did so in 2010. They have already become the first side from the country to reach the semis since then.
Juve themselves last won the Champions League in 1996, so are long overdue a win. And the way they have Serie A sewn up in all but mathematical possibility, along with a possible Italian Cup win if they can beat Lazio, means this could well be a season to remember.
In short, they are back to something like their best under the excellent stewardship of Massimiliano Allegri since he became Head Coach last July. The 47-year-old has proved a revelation this season and shrewdly managed the quarter-final victory over two tough legs against Monaco in true, doggedly defensive Italian style.
So do not expect a high scoring game in either of the two legs against the holders Real Madrid in May. We pretty much know what we will get from Juventus and it will be more of the same. They will aim to frustrate Real Madrid, break up their free-flowing style and to generally get under the skin of their volatile superstars. They will also look to hit them on the break and to benefit from any set-piece opportunities they get, which you can also bet they will be working hard to secure.
It is unlikely to be pretty but it might just be effective – it has been so far all season. So it may just be time for the Old Lady of Turin to sing once more. And whatever happens, she is certainly good value!
The post Long Odds: The Old Lady for the big one? appeared first on Italian Football Daily.
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