Juventus vs Atletico Madrid 13/03/19

13 March 2019

Atletico Madrid have the chance to see off Juventus after securing a comfortable 2-0 win at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano if they can preserve their lead in the return leg of their Champions League last-16 tie that takes place at the Allianz Stadium.

The Bianconeri go in search of their elusive first triumph over Atletico in their fourth H2H meeting in the Champions League, but they also chase their first goal against the Spanish side. There are plenty of reasons for excitement, considering the reigning Serie A holders have won nine of their previous ten home clashes across all competitions (W9, D1), scoring 3+ match goals in the last four. Additionally, in that period Massimiliano Allegri’s men have kept seven clean sheets, allowing over 1.5 goals per match only once in the process. In spite of their dominance in Serie A, the hosts have already suffered three defeats in the Champions League (conceding two goals per match in each), including the one to Manchester United in Turin in the group stage. Furthermore, Juventus have scored one goal or less in their previous four CL outings, which may be their biggest problem in this encounter.

Meanwhile, the visitors rely on the fact they’ve advanced to the next stage the last five times they’ve won the first leg 2-0. Emerged as one of the best defensive teams in Europe over the past few years, Los Colchoneros come into this meeting after preserving a clean slate in five successive games across all competitions. What’s more, Diego Simeone’s players have conceded 2+ match goals on just three of 18 road trips this season. A potential problem for the Argentinean manager could be Atletico’s lack of composure in the final third that has seen them scored one goal or less in 11 of their last 14 away clashes. As a result of strong defending and poor displays in the attack, just four of Los Rojiblancos’ road games have produced over 2.5 goals.