The Allianz Stadium forms the backdrop of Thursday’s Europa League showdown as Juventus lock horns with six-time winners Sevilla in the semi-final first-leg encounter.
The Bianconeri have put their recent stumble behind them to amass a three-game unbeaten run (W2, D1), and they will enter the clash on the back of two wins in a row.
Having eked out a narrow 2-1 win over Lecce, success over European hopefuls Atalanta was more comfortable with Samuel Iling Junior and Dusan Vlahovic earning them a 2-0 victory.
While on the cusp of securing a top-four berth in Serie A, they will switch their attention to the continental stage with a chance at Europa League glory on the line.
However, in their way stand the 2020 winners, who are still recovering from their domestic fiasco but are determined to make up for it with success in their favourite tournament.
Sevilla have turned a corner under the stewardship of Jose Luis Mendilibar, who has pulled the club from near calamity and has them charging towards a place in Europe.
Last weekend’s 3-2 success over Espanyol leaves them three points adrift of the Europa Conference League spot.
Match Preview
Having suffered Coppa Italia heartbreak against Inter Milan, the Europa League represents a second chance for Massimiliano Allegri’s side to end the season with silverware.
Juventus and Sevilla are familiar foes on the continental stage, having faced off on four previous occasions. The Bianconeri have won twice (D1, L1) while they remain unbeaten at home (W1, D1).
The Old Lady have also never been beaten at home in the Europa League since the competition was rebranded in 2009 (W5, D7), keeping six clean sheets.
However, their recent home form against Spanish opposition could prove their undoing, having lost each of their last two such matches in European competition, failing to score in either game.
Brimming with confidence, Sevilla will be unfazed by the prospect of facing the Italian giants, especially in a tournament that forms a large part of their glory days.
Their impressive record over Serie A teams is an added incentive to inflict damage on Allegri’s side, having won each of their last six matches against Italian clubs in the Europa League, with each win coming in the knockout stage.
Sevilla have reached the semi-finals of the Europa League more times than any other side (five) and will be looking to continue their impressive record in the tournament.
They have gone on to lift the trophy on each of the four previous occasions when they have made it to the semi-final stage.
Juventus vs Sevilla Potential Line-ups
Juventus (3-5-1-1): Wojciech Szczesny; Alex Sandro, Daniele Rugani, Danilo; Filip Kostic, Adrien Rabiot, Manuel Locatelli, Nicolo Fagioli, Juan Cuadrado; Angel Di Maria; Dusan Vlahovic.
Sevilla (4-2-3-1): Marko Dmitrovic; Jesus Navas, Nemanja Gudelj, Karim Rekik, Marcos Acuna; Ivan Rakitic, Pape Gueye; Lucas Ocampos, Oliver Torres, Gonzalo Montiel, Youssef En-Nesyri.
We Say: Juventus 1-1 Sevilla
Both sides are evenly matched and familiar with running a tight ship at the back, so they should play out a cracking stalemate in Turin to set up a delicately poised return leg in Spain.
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