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Juventus will entertain Freiburg at the Juventus Stadium in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League round of 16 on Thursday.
The hosts recorded a 4-1 win on aggregate over Nantes in the knockout round playoffs. They played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg but recorded a 3-0 away win in the second leg, thanks to Angel di Maria's hat trick.
Freiburg booked their place in the round of 16 after finishing as the table toppers in Group G. They had the second-best attacking record in the group stage, scoring 13 goals in six games.
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The hosts suffered their first defeat in eight games as they fell to a 1-0 away loss against Roma in Serie A on Sunday. Freiburg are on a five-game unbeaten run in all competitions and played out a goalless draw against Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Juventus vs Freiburg Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams will be meeting for the first time in a competitive game.
- Freiburg enjoyed an unbeaten run in the group stage of the Europa League, recording four wins and playing out a couple of draws. Interestingly, they kept clean sheets in two of their three away games.
- Juventus are unbeaten in their last four home games, keeping a couple of clean sheets in that period. Freiburg are unbeaten in their last three away games while also keeping clean sheets in these games.
- Freiburg will be meeting an Italian side for the first time in a UEFA-affiliated competition. Juventus, on the other hand, last met a German team in the Europea League/UEFA Cup in the 1994-95 season.
- The visitors had the second-best attacking and second-best defensive record in the group stage of the Europa League, scoring 13 goals and conceding just three times.
Juventus vs Freiburg Prediction
The Old Lady have been defensively solid in their recent games, keeping clean sheets in six of their last eight games in all competitions. They suffered a 1-0 defeat against Roma on Sunday and will be looking to return to winning ways.
They have suffered just three defeats at home in all competitions and should be able to produce a strong performance. Apart from long-term injuries, they don't have any major injury concerns heading into the game, so Massimiliano Allegri is expected to field a strong starting XI.
Breisgau-Brasilianer have kept clean sheets in three of their last five games in all competitions and should be able to produce a strong defensive performance. They went unbeaten in the group stage and, considering their current form, they should be able to avoid defeat and a draw seems to be the likely outcome of the game.
Prediction: Juventus 1-1 Freiburg
Juventus vs Freiburg Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Draw
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Under 2.5
Tip 3: At least a goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
Tip 4: Vincenzo Grifo to score or assist any time - Yes
