Sporting CP and Juventus face off in their UEFA Europa League quarter-final second leg on Thursday 20 April at Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon. Juventus have a one-goal advantage from the first leg, and are firm favorites to progress to the next round.
In last week's encounter, Sporting dominated for long periods of that match and, subsequently, could have been on level terms had it not been for some excellent saves from the Juventus goalkeeper.The inability of the Portuguese club to convert chances has been a familiar issue for them, which cost them dearly in the first leg and they will now hope to turn this around on Thursday and progress to the next round.
Sporting will be without a win in their last five home games in Europe if they fail to beat Juventus. In their last 16 visits to Serie A sides, Sporting has failed to register a win, losing 12 times. They have also lost each of their last five European knockout ties when losing the first leg. Ruben Amorim's side had a disappointing draw with Arouca over the weekend and currently sits fourth in the Primeira Liga standings, nine points adrift of league leaders Benfica. They will need to be more clinical in front of goal and improve their home form in Europe if they are to stand a chance against the Italian side.
All in all, Sporting will need to overturn the one-goal deficit from the first leg to progress to the next round. They will also need to improve their home form in Europe, which has seen them fail to win any of their last five matches.
Meanwhile, Juventus may have lost their last two away matches against Portuguese opponents, but they have won each of their last four matches in Europe without conceding a goal. Massimiliano Allegri's side has struggled in Serie A this season, sitting seventh in the table, nine points behind the final Champions League place. Despite this, they remain a difficult team to score against, having only failed to score in two of their last 24 matches in the Europa League.
On a positive note, Juventus will be looking to extend their winning run in the Europa League and continue their impressive defensive record in the competition. While the test with Sporting is far from over, they should be able to flex their muscles well and get the best out of the clash, with a just three games separating them and a potential final appearance in the Europa League.
Form Guide: Sporting CP vs Juventus
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Sporting Lisbon form (all competitions): 3W 2D 1L
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Juventus form (all competitions): 3 1D 2L
Team News: Sporting CP vs Juventus
A more familiar starting eleven will take the field for Sporting on Thursday, after Ruben Amorim made several changes in their previous match, including benching Goncalo Inacio and Hidemasa Morita. Marcus Edwards missed out due to illness, while Jeremiah St. Juste was unavailable due to injury, but both are hoping to be involved in the second leg. Ugarte remains unavailable due to suspension.
During the first leg, Juventus' Wojciech Szczesny was withdrawn due to chest pain and was replaced by regular cup keeper Mattia Perin, who may be called upon again. Ex-Porto defender Alex Sandro returns to the backline after serving a Serie A suspension, but Federico Gatti is expected to keep his place in the team. Both Paul Pogba and Federico Chiesa have recently recovered from their injuries and are available for selection. Angel Di Maria is expected to return to the Bianconeri's front line after a brief spell on the sidelines.
Broadcast information: Sporting CP vs Juventus
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