Aston Villa vs Juventus betting tips, BuildABet, best bets and preview
Football betting tips: Champions League
1pt Ross Barkley to be carded at 11/2 (General)
Aston Villa have not won since beating Bologna 2-0 in the Champions League back in October, losing four of their last six games, including a trip to Club Brugge.
After an almost faultless start (W9 D3 L1) Unai Emery’s side were at top of the group in Europe and among the front runners in the Premier League.
They remain favourites for the visit of Juventus, who have only conceded 12 goals in 17 games this term, sit four points off the top in Serie A and can leapfrog Villa with a win.
If forced to, I'd be backing the Old Lady.
Luckily I don't have to pick a side, and have found better value in the card market.
What are the best bets?
Injuries open the door for a rare ROSS BARKLEY start in the heart of the Villa midfield and his price TO BE CARDED is simply too big.
The midfielder has only started three matches for Villa this season, yet across a total of 440 minutes of playing time in the Premier League and Champions League he has been booked four times (card per 90 of 0.82).
Granted, it is a small sample size but even based on his numbers at Luton last season (0.21) his price to be booked on Wednesday is a point too big.
Barkley reinvented himself as a deep-lying playmaker at Kenilworth Road, which explains his increase in defensive output.
Combine this with the jump up in standard and a favourable referee choice and this angle ticks all the boxes.
Jesus Gil Manzano has dished out 42 cards in six La Liga games this term and has averaged just under four per game in his career on the continent.
Team news
Aston Villa are thin on the ground. Amadou Onana and Jacob Ramsey are ruled out and Boubacar Kamara and Ezri Konsa are also doubts. Matty Cash should fill in at full-back and Barkley in midfield if Kamara and Konsa miss out.
Despite scoring twice in Europe this season Jhon Duran may have to settle for a spot on the bench as Emery is expected to opt for Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rodgers in attack.
As for Juventus, Dusan Vlahovic limped off for Serbia during the international break and played no part in the draw at Milan at the weekend. The frontman remains a doubt for the trip to Villa Park, Timothy Weah should start in his absence.
Former Villan Douglas Luiz is a doubt with a muscle injury, as is Weston McKennie.
Predicted line-ups
Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Carlos, Torres, Digne; Bailey, Barkley, Tielemans, McGinn; Rodgers, Watkins
Juventus: Di Gregorio; Savona, Kalulu, Gatti, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Thuram; Conceicao, Koopmeiners, Yildiz; Weah
Match facts
- This will be the third time Aston Villa and Juventus have faced each other in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, following two meetings in the 1982-83 quarter-finals. Juventus won 5-2 on aggregate with victories in both legs, with the Italian side going on to finish as runners-up that season.
- Juventus have only won three of their last 15 away matches against English sides in European competition (D3 L9), while this will be their first such trip since losing 0-4 to Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League in November 2021.
- Aston Villa have won their opening two home UEFA Champions League matches, with only Spurs in 2010 and Leicester in 2016 winning their first three among English teams. They have also kept two clean sheets so far, with Milan in 1992-93 the only side to win their first three home games without conceding, while Chelsea were the last side to keep clean sheets in their first three home games overall (W2 D1 in 1999).
- Juventus have won just one of their last seven away UEFA Champions League matches (D2 L4), beating RB Leipzig 3-2 earlier this campaign. They had won seven of their previous nine away games before this run.
- Aston Villa have won seven of their last eight home matches in major European competitions (L1), with five of those wins coming by a one-goal margin.
- Through the first four matchdays in the UEFA Champions League this season, Juventus suffered the most opposition high turnovers of any team (54). Indeed, they also conceded the most shots following a high turnover from their opponents (11 – level with Young Boys).
- Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has beaten Juventus twice before in the UEFA Champions League, winning with Sevilla in 2015 and Villarreal in 2022. No manager has ever beaten Juve with three different teams in the competition.
- Dusan Vlahovic has been involved in five goals in his six away UEFA Champions League appearances for Juventus (4 goals, 1 assist), including at least one in his last three. No Juve player has ever scored or assisted in four consecutive away appearances.
- Jhon Durán has scored in each of his two home UEFA Champions League appearances for Aston Villa this season; the only two Villa players to score in three home appearances in a row in major European competition are Ian Taylor in the 1997-98 UEFA Cup (3) and Ollie Watkins in last season’s Conference League (4).
- 26% of Pau Torres’ passes in the UEFA Champions League this season have broken at least one opposition line (42/162). Among defenders to have attempted 100+ passes in the opening four rounds, the Aston Villa man has the highest such percentage this term.
Odds correct at 1245 GMT (26/11/24)
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