Juventus will need to overcome a disadvantage from the first leg if they are to get through to the next round of the Champions League. Lyon will be no push overs, but will the Old Lady be able to secure their place in the last four?
Champions League Preview
There was much talk at the beginning of the season that this was the year that Juventus would finally end their wait for a Champions League honour. There has been pressure on Cristiano Ronaldo to deliver that prize since arriving in Turin, but if this is to be their season, then they will have to do it the hard way. Juventus have been handed a tricky run, as they will have to play potentially Manchester City and then Bayern Munich on their way to the final.
Their form in this competition up until the first leg against Lyon was efficient, as they had won five of their six group stage fixtures. They managed to top their group, which also included Bayer Leverkusen and Atletico Madrid. However, their chances of reaching the quarterfinals will now hinge on whether they can overcome the 1-0 defeat that they suffered in Lyon. Their form recently hasn’t been good, as they have lost three of their previous four. The latter of those was a 3-1 defeat against AS Roma, but Cristiano Ronaldo and Paolo Dybala were rested on that occasion.
Lyon’s preparation for this fixture has been affected by the fact that the Ligue 1 was postponed in March. They played their first competitive game in over four months against PSG in the Coupe de la Ligue final. Lyon defended excellently in that fixture, but unfortunately were beaten in the penalty shootout. They will need to ensure that they a defensively solid against the Old Lady in this fixture, otherwise Juventus could runaway with the victory.
Juventus vs Lyon Head To Head
These two sides have face each other in competitive competition on five previous occasions. The first two meetings both came in the Europa League and were won by Juventus. Lyon’s only success against Juventus came in the first leg.
Juventus vs Lyon Prediction
There will be pressure on Juventus to at least match their feat of reaching the quarterfinals of this competition like they did last season. The fact that Lyon have been inactive may play into the Old Lady’s hands, and the preference is for Ronaldo to inspire Juventus to victory.
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