Juventus vs. Porto: 3 predictions for the Champions League second leg
Juventus will face Porto at home on Tuesday night with revenge on their minds. The Bianconeri lost 2-1 to Porto in the first leg of the Round of 16, with only Federico Chiesa’s brilliant individual effort late in the game salvaging something for the visitors. And that “something” could prove to be pivotal on Tuesday, as Chiesa’s goal counts as an all-important away goal for Juve.
Here are three predictions for Juventus vs. Porto when the second leg takes place at the Allianz Stadium tomorrow night.
Juventus will win by two goals
Juve have had trouble keeping clean sheets, as they gave up an early goal off an individual error to Lazio in their impressive 3-1 win this weekend. But even if they cannot keep a clean sheet on Tuesday vs. Porto, I still see them winning by a margin of two goals, such as a 3-1 result again.
It feels like the pieces are coming back together for Juventus. Juan Cuadrado and Arthur Melo are healthy again, and the center backs are starting to get back to fitness, too. At full strength, Juve are capable of beating anyone, as we have seen this season with wins over Inter, Milan, and most recently Lazio. They will take care of business at home against Porto.
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Cristiano Ronaldo will score
A fresh Cristiano Ronaldo is a dangerous proposition for Porto, and I expect him to have a big say on the second leg at the Allianz Stadium. The Champions League is Ronaldo’s favorite competition, and there is literally nobody better in the history of this prestigious tournament.
With 20 goals in Serie A and four in the Champions League, expect Ronaldo to bag a fifth on Tuesday night. He is fresh after resting much of the match vs. Lazio, getting 21 minutes at the end to ensure he’d be tuned-up for Porto.
Juventus know how important Ronaldo is to them in this competition, and he will lead the way to ensure the Bianconeri advance to the quarterfinals. There will be no Round of 16 upset in back-to-back years.
Leonardo Bonucci, Arthur will stabilize Juventus
Juventini cannot underestimate the impact of the returns of Arthur and Leonardo Bonucci. Juve’s ball security was a nightmare against Porto in the first leg, and a lot of that has to do with the absences of these two excellent passers. Juventus could not play out of the back like Andrea Pirlo wanted against Porto’s press, and the result was costly. Rodrigo Bentancur alone cannot be scapegoated; the issue was observed across more players than just him, though he was the one bearing the majority of the issues due to his position as an ill-fitting regista.
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Arthur is one of the most secure dribblers you’ll find in tight spaces, and Bonucci is among the best center backs in the world in terms of his range of passing. Both players have been missed by the Bianconeri in recent matches, and their late-game appearances against Lazio should give Juventini plenty of optimism that they will start and lock things down on Tuesday.