Villarreal vs Juventus: the Yellow Submarine not to Lose at Chess Game

Juventus will face Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League last 16. The first match will occur at the Spanish stadium, Estadio de la Cerámica. Despite Juventus' high status, the Yellow Submarine are the favorites for the upcoming game. Turin has personnel problems, plus we should not forget about the field factor.

Recall that Villarreal ended up second in Group F ahead of Atalanta and the Young Boys but lost to MU. Not the strongest squad, but still, a result worthy of respect. Villarreal played three matches at home in the Champions League: a 2:2 with Atalanta, 2:0 over Young Boys, and a 0:2 win over Juve that decided the group leader. It has a four-match unbeaten streak at home: victories over Betis, Mallorca, and Granada and a nil-nil draw against Real.

We don't define Villarreal as an under team. Seven of the last ten matches finished with TO (2.5). At the same time, the Submarine scored in the games against quite a productive Real Madrid and Betis. Now they will try to pass the initiative. However, Juve is not very fond of playing offense, even in Serie A. So expect more chess than soccer, especially in the first half.

Juventus miraculously won Group H due to Chelsea's draw in St. Petersburg after the Londoners had blown them out at 4:0 at Stamford Bridge the previous matchday. They have a seven-match undefeated series with four wins and three draws (two against Atalanta and Torino). Juve is in the Champions League zone in the Italian championship, but Atalanta is hanging on their tail. The Zebras had four days to recover and prepare for Villarreal. Juventus were not particularly impressive in the derby as they were the first to take the lead but could not keep the advantage. In general, the current Juve does not look like a victory-achieving machine. The team is not even fighting for the Scudetto, so the lineup where Turin is an outsider is not surprising.

On an official level, the Spaniards and Italians have never crossed paths. Juventus are the favorites in terms of status, but now they are not as dangerous as they were a couple of seasons ago. But under Unai Emery, Villarreal has grown mentally. Currently, they keep the Europa League Cup and have made it to the playoffs. Villarreal has a good chance in a home match, at least not to lose to the titled Turin. We bet on an unproductive match and defensive playing. Juventus can't count on Chiesa and Dibala. Vlahovic had a weak game against Torino. Villarreal is in a better lineup situation. However, Emery regularly keeps a lower profile against the seasoned clubs, and he probably won't go out of his way against Juve either. Even if a quick goal happens, we doubt that the game will open up no matter whose goal it is.