Maccabi Haifa – Juventus : Preview & Prediction
Maccabi Haifa’s UEFA Champions League (UCL) campaign has gone as expected so far due to the quality of opponents in Group H, with three defeats in the first three rounds – including a 3-1 loss away to Juventus. Another defeat in this clash will ensure that last season’s Israeli champions will finish bottom of the group, which would be expected by many as they have lost four of their last five official matches (G1).
Maccabi has also won just one of its six matches against Italian opponents (E1, P4), making Juventus an unwelcome opponent. But while the chances of a win are low, the home side boast a decent positive home record in European competitions recently, with their matchday two defeat to Paris Saint-Germain representing just their second loss in their last 18 home appearances in UEFA competitions (G11, E5).
After a poor start to the season, there was a sense that Serie A (SA) giants Juventus may have turned their campaign around after beating Bologna 3-0 at home over the previous weekend before winning 3-1 against Maccabi. However, a costly 2-0 defeat in SA away to AC Milan at the weekend has put them back on track and Massimiliano Allegri’s side must now secure a win in Haifa if they are to keep alive their hopes of reaching the Round of 16 for the ninth consecutive season.
They start the matchday four points behind PSG and Benfica, who face each other in Paris, so that gap can be closed this week. Although it is difficult to trust the two-time European champions when playing away as Juve have failed to win an official away game since April last season (E2, P5) and, coincidentally, just like last Saturday, Juventus conceded exactly two goals in four of those defeats.
Players to watch: Maccabi’s Dean David scored his side’s only goal in the last meeting between the two clubs, meaning he has scored three goals in his last three games and all were registered in the last 15 minutes. Before failing to contribute at the San Siro, Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović recorded five contributions on goal during his last four games for club and country (three goals, two assists).
Key stat: The 3-1 win in last week’s meeting between the sides was the only time Juventus scored more than once in their last seven UCL matches.
Maccabi Haifa – Juventus : Betting Tips
Juventus – Win Odds: 1.85
