Champions League Preview, Juventus Vs. Dinamo Zagreb: Prediction, Starting Lineups, Betting Tips, and Live Stream
Juventus will welcome Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday as the Italian giants look to claim the top spot in Group H of UEFA Champions League.
It will be a very crucial match for Juventus, as the second-place team in the group, Sevilla, has just a point less than the Turin-based club. A result other than a win against Dinamo could overthrow Juventus out of the top spot, a fate they will want to avoid.
.@gnkdinamo's domestic and overseas form, plus past trips to Italy.
The lowdown on our opponents ? https://t.co/K6TU51nUEU #JuveDZG #UCL pic.twitter.com/WlDTeMy4ua
— JuventusFC ???? (@juventusfcen) December 6, 2016
Juve prepared for this clash perfectly after a resounding win against Atlanta in Seria A. They won the game 3-1 thanks to the goals from Mario Mandzukic, Alex Sandro, and Daniele Rugani.
The win means Juventus now has 36 points from 15 games in Seria A. They are placed in the first position in the table right now and are also situated to be in the first place of Group H of the Champions League.
Juventus hasn’t won the Champions League trophy since 1996, so a win in this game will a positive step towards to the Old Lady’s title aspirations this season.
Meanwhile, German midfielder Sami Khedira, who signed for the club in 2015 from Real Madrid, insists the club will do everything they can to win the Champions League this season, as reported by Football Italia.
“The Champions League? If I remember correctly, Juventus haven’t won it since 1996 so I’d say it’s time to win it.
“That’s why I’m here, that’s why I signed for Juventus. But I also know that it’s not easy, you can dream about winning it but you always have to work hard to achieve it.
“I strongly believe that our squad can compete for the trophy, but we know that there are other very strong teams in the fight.”
Team News: Juventus
New signing Dani Alves is out injured until next year, and Stephan Lichtsteiner is not included in the Champions League squad. This means Juan Cuadrado is likely to deputize in their absence.
Furthermore, Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci are both injured and are ruled out of this game. Coach Max Allegri may ask Medhi Benatia and Daniele Rugani for their services in this game.
Young striker Paulo Dybala still hasn’t played since the end of October, but he is likely to play some part in this game.
Juventus: Predicted Lineup (4-4-2)
Buffon – Cuadrado, Rugani, Chiellini, Sandro – Khedira, Pjanic, Lemina, Evra – Higuain, Mandzukic
Team News: Dynamo Zagreb
Dinamo Zagreb may field Petar Stojanovic in this game after returning from suspension, but they have lost Jonas due to a ban.
Domagoj Antolic and Marko Leskovic both will miss this match due to their respective injuries.
Dinamo Zagreb: Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1)
Livakovic – Sigali, Schildenfeld, Pivaric, Benkovic – Machado, Pavicic, Situm, Cori, Soudani – Fernandes
Juventus vs. Dinamo Zagreb: Head-to-Head
Total games: One
Juventus win: One
Dinamo Zagreb win: Nil
Draw: Nil
Juventus vs. Dinamo Zagreb: TV Schedule and Channel
In the U.S., the match will be live on ESPN3 USA, WatchESPN, and Fox Soccer 2GO USA. For other regions, the TV schedule can be found in the link here.
Juventus vs. Dinamo Zagreb: Prediction
No time for looking ?
Always focused on the ?@Evra discusses the Bianconeri way, season aims, #JuveDZG and more ? https://t.co/Ld4kRK24AZ pic.twitter.com/SNuoNWrgEF— JuventusFC ???? (@juventusfcen) December 5, 2016
It is no doubt that Juventus is a massive favorite in this game. Dinamo has nothing to play for in this game, except for pride. This is possibly an easy win for the Old Lady.
Final Predicted Score: Juventus 3-1 Dinamo Zagreb
Juventus vs. Dinamo Zagreb: Betting Tips and Odds
- Juventus win: 1/7
- A draw: 7/1
- Dinamo Zagreb win: 20/1
- Under 2.5 goals: 13/8
- Over 2.5 goals: 4/9
- Both teams score: 6/4
- Both teams fail to score: 1/2
The odds were provided by Paddypower.
Key Stats to consider
- Dinamo Zagreb has failed to score in their last five matches (Champions League).
- Dinamo Zagreb has lost their last five matches (Champions League).
- Juventus is unbeaten in their last seven matches (Champions League).
- Juventus has won four of their last five games (all competitions).
- Juventus has failed to keep a clean sheet in their last three games.
The Juventus vs. Dinamo Zagreb stats were provided by Whoscored.
Juventus vs. Dinamo Zagreb: Live Stream
The match can be streamed live online by clicking this link. The link will be updated just before kick-off.
[Featured Image by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images]
