When Juventus hosts Sporting CP, history heavily favors the Italian giants. Juventus are unbeaten in their four previous meetings (2 wins, 2 draws), including a victory that knocked Sporting out of the Europa League just a couple of seasons ago.
For Sporting, this fixture is part of a long-standing struggle. They've never beaten Juventus and have a dismal record away in Italy, playing 19 times without a single victory (5 draws, 14 losses). This "Italian curse" has seen them lose in Italy in three of the last four seasons.
Current Form & Key Trends:
Juventus Seeking a Spark: The Old Lady is currently winless in her last four Champions League outings and will be eager to rediscover her winning form at home.
Sporting's Resurgent Threat: Despite the historical odds, Sporting are on an upswing, winning two of their last three UCL matches. They're looking for back-to-back wins for the first time this campaign.
The Comeback Kings? A fascinating quirk: Five of the six goals Juventus has scored in this season's UCL have come when they were losing, showing they don't give up easily.
Super-Subs: Watch Sporting's bench! Four of their seven goals this season have been scored by substitutes, making them incredibly dangerous as the game wears on.
Key Men to Watch: For Juventus, all eyes will be on Dusan Vlahovic, the team's undisputed offensive leader. For Sporting, Pote is the creative heartbeat, already the most influential player in the club's entire Champions League history.
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