Juventus got Villareal in the Champions League Round of 16 and although it may look like a favourable draw, Lorenzo Bettoni believes the Bianconeri should fear everyone right now.
Anything can happen in the next two months, but right now, there isn’t a draw that Juventus can really call ‘favourable.’
Massimiliano Allegri’s side have had one of the worst starts to the season in their history. They are 12 points off leaders Inter and eight points behind fourth-placed Napoli. They won their Champions League group ahead of Chelsea but lost 4-0 against the Blues at Stamford Bridge.
Juventus have the worst attacking record among the top ten clubs in Serie A with just 23 goals scored. Bologna, Verona, Sasssuolo, even Sampdoria, have done better than them.
They are a team without a clear identity. A team that cannot kill the games off. Their best scorer, Paulo Dybala, is often injured, while the other main striker, Alvaro Morata, could return to Atletico Madrid at the end of the season and his uncertain future in Turin has had an impact on his performances and his mood.
Right now, every team is a potential threat for the Bianconeri and everybody knows it.
It’s not a coincidence that Spanish media, especially Marca, believe Villareal can be quite happy with the outcome of the redraw.
It’s true that The Yellow Submarine had got Manchester City in the first draw that was eventually called void, so any other team is a better option.
However, Villareal eliminated Atalanta from the Champions League, the same Atalanta that had beaten Juventus in Turin only a few weeks ago.
Unai Emery’s side lost two games against Manchester United, but only late goals from a certain Cristiano Ronaldo helped the Red Devils take all three points in both ties.
This could sound familiar to Juventus as the Bianconeri haven’t been able to replace the Portuguese star who had netted 101 goals in 134 games over three seasons at the Allianz Stadium.
Many things will need to change in Turin over the next few months if Juventus want to finish in the top four and be competitive in Europe.
Villareal or Sporting CP, the first team drawn against the Bianconeri, are surely better options than PSG, but the Serie A giants can’t feel safe against any opponent right now.
They know that winning the group does not guarantee an easy path to the quarter-finals. Over the last two years, they finished top of their group under Maurizio Sarri and Andrea Pirlo but were eliminated at the hands of Lyon and Porto.
Allegri and his men will try to snatch a different result this time, but at the moment, it is something that they can’t guarantee.
It’s a 50/50 situation for Juventus. Villareal will certainly feel the happier – as their ‘first’ opponent was Man City. They stand a good chance against Juventus. Had Moscow not scored that 93 minute goal, Chelsea would have won the group and Juve would now have Lille – by far the best option of all. But then . . . .
It’s a good thing that Juve did something that some teams haven’t done in the last 10 Years – beat a Pot A team AND Finish First in the Group ! It was a sigh of relief to know that we avoid Man City, Bayern and Liverpool…….can other teams say the same ? :))