Champions League Betting: Maccabi Haifa v Juventus

Champions League / Dave Farrar / 03 November 2009 / Leave a Comment

David Trezeguet will be Juve's main man on Tuesday night as they travel to Israel desperate for three points.

"There will be none of the loss of concentration that cost them against Napoli, and I’m confident that a fully focused Juve are good enough to see off a team which deserves to be here, but which clearly isn’t good enough to progress."

This may not be a game for the football purists but Juve aren't travelling to Israel to entertain, they're going there to pick up three points. And that's the most likely outcome, says Dave Farrar.

It may suit Juventus to be playing away from Turin on Tuesday, as any memories which are lingering from Saturday's astonishing home defeat by Napoli will be more easily forgotten.

Juve are now seven points behind Inter in the table, and may be slowly believing that the Champions League offers them their best chance of silverware this season.

And if Juve can win against a pumped up Maccabi, they will be in control of a tricky looking group, possibly leaving Bayern Munich vulnerable. La Vecchia Signora of twenty years ago would have loved to play against a team like this, and they would have almost guaranteed to win 1-0.

But the modern Juve like to play with a little more style, and the fact that Maccabi keep things tight and organised, as they showed in Turin two weeks ago, will make things difficult for Ferrara's side.

Elisha Levi has guided his team to eight straight wins in the League, but, impressive though that is, there has clearly been a gulf in class as they have stepped up to Champions League level. They are yet to score a goal, yet to earn a point. Juventus will have to do without the injured Iaquinta and Del Piero, and so the goalscoring burden is likely to fall onto David Trezeguet, and with difficult games to come against Bordeaux and Bayern, Juve know that they simply must win this.

There will be none of the loss of concentration that cost them against Napoli, and I'm confident that a fully focused Juve are good enough to see off a team which deserves to be here, but which clearly isn't good enough to progress. The game isn't the most attractive betting proposition, but given the likelihood of Juventus winning to nil, a small Correct Score wager is in order, and I'll go for the Juve of old scoreline, in a game that may not be the greatest viewing experience.

RECOMMENDATION JUVENTUS to win 1-0 @ [7.8]