Football Bet of the Day: Italians to go down swinging

Wolves to win a cracker

Wolfsburg (W) v Juventus (W)
Thursday 18 November, 17:45
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It rained goal attempts in Brazil last night, but not goals. Our boys America MG had 23 shots against Atletico GO, but couldn't find the net in a goalless draw.

Muttering like Muttley, we head to Germany's Lower Saxony region, because Wolfsburg are up against Juventus in the Women's Champions League.

Wolfsburg are a powerhouse of the women's game. They have been crowned as German champions six times from 2013 onwards, they won the Champions League in 2013 and 2014, and were beaten finalists in the UWCL in 2016, 2018 and 2020. At the weekend, they beat Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich 1-0 in Bavaria, and Tommy Stroot's side is now a point clear at the top of the table.

However, the Wolves' Champions League campaign has had ups and downs. VFL led 3-1 at Chelsea, only to concede a 90th-minute leveller in a 3-3 draw. After thrashing Servette 5-0, they then blew another lead in Italy against Juventus, again conceding a 90th-minute equaliser. Anything less than a win against Juve tonight would make things a little nervy going into the last two matchdays.

Under former Arsenal boss Joe Montemurro, Juventus are flying. They have won all nine of their games in Serie A (they hammered Lazio 5-0 at the weekend) and they have performed admirably against Chelsea (2-1 home defeat) and Wolfsburg. The Turin giants have scored in all of their competitive matches this term, and in fact they haven't failed to score in a competitive game since December 2020, when they lost 3-0 at Lyon.

Wolfsburg are the 2/9 favourites here on the Sportsbook, but we can boost that price to a hefty 6/5 if we also back both teams to find the net. Given Juventus' firepower, and Wolfsburg's defensive lapses at this level this season, that seems a sensible play. It's also worth noting that Wolfsburg keeper Almuth Schult was outstanding against Bayern, so it's not as if VFL aren't giving up chances in big games. However, Wolfsburg have won nine of their last ten home matches, and their experience and quality means they should win here.