Having reached the Europa League final in both his seasons in Sevilla, Unai Emery will aim to make progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League as Villarreal hosts Italian champions Juventus on Tuesday with kickoff at 11 pm.
The Yellow Submarine finished second in Group F behind Manchester United, while Juventus topped Group H ahead of reigning champions Chelsea to reach this stage.
Former Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain boss Emery knows that his side is underdogs to lift the Champions League trophy aloft.
Villarreal was largely successful in the tournament’s group stages – despite losing two games to Manchester United – and secured their place in the knockout rounds for the first time since 2009 with a thrilling 3-2 win away to Atalanta BC on the final matchday.
Juventus’ success in the Champions League has been long overdue, but their victory over Chelsea in the quarter-finals last season was a good omen for this topsy-turvy outfit.
They have come up empty-handed on the European stage for the past six years but have an opportunity to break that drought this season as they try to re-assert their dominance domestically.
Allegri will not be focused on the team’s 4-0 loss at Stamford Bridge, but rather their five wins from their other Champions League matches as they advance with 15 points – only Ajax has advanced with a better record in Group H.
Villarreal vs. Juventus Head to Head
Both sides are yet to face each other at this competition stage. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Granada 1-4 Villarreal
- Villarreal 0-0 Real Madrid
- Real Betis 0-2 Villarreal
- Villarreal 3-0 RCD Mallorca
- Elche 1-0 Villarreal
Away
- Juventus 1-1 Torino
- Atalanta 1-1 Juventus
- Juventus 2-1 Sassuolo
- Juventus 2-0 Hellas Verona
- Milan 0-0 Juventus
Villarreal Team News
Yeremi Pino may return from suspension for Villarreal, but the absence of Gerard Moreno is a blow for the Yellow Submarine. Francis Coquelin and Ruben Pena are not quite ready, and Giovani Lo Celso had ice on his leg and may be checked.
Juventus Team News
The opponents will also have right-back Danilo available for their match against Barcelona, as his domestic suspension from a red card has ended. They may need him, as Juan Cuadrado is just one yellow card away from a European suspension.
Prediction and Odds
With Juve’s ongoing absence of Danjuma, Villarreal should be able to take control of the game with their recent winning streak.
- Draw
- Double Chance
- Both Teams to Score
