Wednesday gives us a blockbuster Champions League clash between Juventus and Villarreal. The first leg finished 1-1 and now we need to find a winner in the second leg to progress to the quarterfinals.
Will the Italians be able to secure a spot in the next round or will Villarreal eliminate Juventus? Read our free Champions League picks and predictions for Juventus vs. Villarreal.
Juventus vs Villarreal match odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
Compare Champions League odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Juventus vs Villarreal betting tips
- Prediction: Juventus (-106)
- Prediction: Over 2.5 goals (+110)
- Best bet: Serge Aurier to get booked (+260)
Predictions made on 3/15/2022 at 5:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Juventus vs Villarreal game info
• Location: Juventus Stadium, Turin, Italy
• Date: Wednesday, March 16, 2022
• Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
• TV: DAZN, Paramount+
Juventus vs Villarreal betting preview
Weather
The weather in Italy will be dry with a mellow wind. The temperature will be in the mid-50s when the game kicks off at 9:00 pm local time.
Injuries
Juventus: Leonardo Bonucci CB (Out), Denis Zakaria DM (Out), Weston McKennie CM (Out), Federico Chiesa RW (Out), Kaio Jorge CF (Out).
Villarreal: Paco Alcacer ST (Out), Alberto Moreno LB (Out), Ruben Pena RB (Out).
Juventus vs Villarreal predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Side analysis
The first leg of this matchup finished 1-1 and was a hugely entertaining game. Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic opened up the scoring within a minute of kickoff, shocking the Villarreal fans. The Yellow Submarine maintained the majority of the possession for the rest of the match, with Dani Parejo equalizing in the 66th minute.
The teams will look quite different from the two that met a fortnight ago. A number of Villarreal players are struggling for match fitness, which means that there is a strong chance that Juan Foyth, Etienne Capoue, Raul Albiol, and Gerard Moreno joined Alberto Moreno on the sidelines for this game. Those injuries would be a big blow for Villarreal head coach Unai Emery, who doesn’t have a squad with the depth of Juventus.
Speaking of the Italians, they’re looking in far better health than their opponents. They’ll still be without two of their best players, Federico Chiesa and Leonardo Bonucci, but they have been able to welcome back some of their bigger names. Alex Sandro came off the substitutes bench at the weekend, and the sight of Paulo Dybala and Giorgio Chiellini training in the week will be a huge boost for the Old Lady.
Neither side is having a fantastic season domestically, with Juventus sitting fourth in Serie A, seven points behind AC Milan, and looking unlikely to challenge come the end of the season. Meanwhile, Villarreal is seventh in the La Liga table and probably won’t find themselves in next season’s Champions League.
When these two teams met two weeks ago the Italians had to start fullbacks Alex Sandro and Danilo in the back three alongside Matthijs de Ligt. Now the Dutchman will be able to partner Daniele Rugani and push the fullbacks wide into a back four. That’s going to make Juventus tougher at the back and they’ll fancy their chances of scoring in front of their home crowd.
Villarreal have won five of their past eight and can’t be overlooked here but that probably doesn’t tell the full story. In their past five trips on the road, they’ve lost three games and don’t look quite the same team. Juventus are a team in strong form, having not lost a game in over two months in all competitions. Even more impressive is their home at the Allianz Stadium, having not lost a home match since 27th November. They aren’t as dominant as they’ve been in previous years but their fanbase has helped create a fortress at home where they’re rarely beaten.
With Juventus's fantastic record at home and the club welcoming back important players from injury, I’ll be backing the Italians to win this game inside 90 minutes.
Prediction: Juventus (-106)
Over/Under analysis
Juventus might not have any losses at the moment, but that hasn’t stopped them from allowing at least one goal in six of their past eight games. Even with Villarreal likely to be missing some of their firepower up front, they have the ability and the motivation to find the back of the net. I’m confident in Juventus winning the game but it wouldn’t be a shock to see them concede here, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they were to win 2-1 or 3-1.
Juventus struggled with goals at points this season, with Alvaro Morata only managing 16 games in 51 games this season. Those troubles saw them break the bank to sign Vlahovic from Fiorentina, and the Serb has started well for Juventus scoring three in six games in Serie A, and one in his sole Champions League performance.
Back Over 2.5 goals here. It’s a tasty price and given how the game should unfold it feels highly likely.
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals (+110)
Best bet
Do you remember when we were discussing Villarreal’s injury problems earlier? Unfortunately for the Yellow Submarine, a number of those potential absentees are defenders which should mean that Serge Aurier starts for Villarreal. The former Spurs right-back has developed a reputation for being hotheaded in both London and during his spell at PSG. He’s a combustible player and has a habit of rash and reckless tackling.
During Aurier's time in England, it felt like he was always likely to get his name in the referee's book and now he faces a tough Champions League tie against Juventus. In just 11 games for Villarreal in La Liga, he’s picked up three yellow cards, which is impressive given that only seven of those appearances were starts.
He’s a very generous +260 to get booked and I’d recommend backing the Ivorian to get a card if his name is in the starting lineup.
Pick: Serge Aurier to get booked (+260)
