9th May 2017 Kickoff: 1945hrs Juventus v Monaco– Football – Europe – Champions League
Juventus took a giant leap towards their second Champions League final in three seasons when winning deservedly in the first leg of this semi final in Monaco last Wednesday. Two goals from the often maligned Gonzalo Higuain paved the way for the perfect away performance from the Italian champions. Monaco have been the surprise package of this season’s Champions League and have been written off previously only to find a way to progress. That said, if they are to be playing in Cardiff on the first weekend of June it will have to be a performance that goes above and beyond anything they have achieved in what has been a terrific season.
There really should have been no surprises about how Juve approached the first leg and implemented the instructions and tactics of the shrew Max Allegri. They came out the blocks incredibly quickly which put their opponents on the back foot and got their just rewards midway through the first half with a goal to mark any occasion. There are few teams better when holding a lead and the following hour a master class in counter attacking football which also stifled an exciting Monaco attack. Higuain has so often been criticised for his performances in the high pressure games, and after a couple of nervy moments early in proceedings it was looking like another game to forget. The Argentinean responded in the best possible fashion, though, with two predatory finishes to silence those critics. Despite being so consistent in Serie A for a number of seasons, it was almost a vindication in itself for the money Juve paid for him. He’s one of many to have never won this competition and will be as determined as anybody to right that over the next three weeks.
Monaco looked uneasy from the off last week at home which is somewhat understandable considering the magnitude of the occasion for such an inexperienced team. The eyes of Europe were fixed firmly upon them and other than a fleeting glimpse of what we know they are capable of, were unable to trouble one of the best defences around. Kylian Mpabbe had enjoyed a superb introduction to Champions League football scoring in all four previous knockout stage games, and although he was the main threat, he found opportunities hard to come by against the wily back three of Chiellini, Bonucci and Barzagli. It’s unlikely to be anything different in the return leg but Monaco will take heart from the fact that they have scored three goals in their last two away games in the competition against Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund. On the other hand, if they are to spring a major surprise and progress from this situation then a much better defensive showing of their own will be required, and a major improvement in the seven goals they have shipped over those same two games.
Juventus v Monaco Betting Tip
At the halfway stage in both Champions League finals, anything other than a Real Madrid versus Juventus final would be a major shock. Monaco can have not thoughts about that, however, and will be hoping they can continue what has been a fairytale season up until this point. Their task is a really difficult one, though. To even get the tie to extra time they will have to score as many goals in 90 minutes as Juventus have conceded in the Champions League all season. It was another French team in Lyon who have managed what no other visiting team have done in this competition, scoring at the Juventus Stadium in the group stage. A 1-1 draw will not be enough for Monaco on this occasion, though.
Interestingly enough, the only Juventus home game in the Champions League to contain three or more goals this season was in the last round against Barcelona. Despite being at home you fully expect Juve to approach this game as they did the away leg against Barca by ensuring they give very little away, even if that means sacrificing some of their own attacking threat. Allegri trusts his team implicitly in these sorts of situations and I anticipate another disciplined display, which will ultimately frustrate their opponents. With nine clean sheets in 11 Champions League games, another one looks to be on the cards as Juventus stroll into the final.
Juventus to win to nil 9/5 @ Stan James
