Tottenham Carries Away Goal Edge Into Champions League Second Leg vs. Juventus
Italian giants Juventus travel to Wembley stadium on Wednesday night for the hotly anticipated second leg of this UEFA Champions League last 16 tie against Tottenham Hotspur.
A thrilling first leg in Turin has left the tie in the balance after away goals from Spurs duo Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane clawed the Premier League side back to parity from an early 2-0 deficit against the Italian champions.
Both sides churned out important domestic victories over the weekend, with Spurs comfortably dispatching Huddersfield Town 2-0 on Saturday afternoon, while visitors Juventus moved to within a point of Serie A leaders Napoli with a last gasp 1-0 victory away at third placed Lazio.
Recent Form
Tottenham have been in ruthless form since the turn of the year having not been beaten since December's 4-1 defeat at the Etihad stadium, a run which spans 17 fixtures in all competitions and includes victories over Manchester United and north London rivals Arsenal.
Mauricio Pochettino's side currently sit fourth in the Premier League table, five points clear of fifth place Chelsea.
Juventus, meanwhile, are on a similarly impressive domestic run. Unbeaten since November, the Old Lady haven't dropped a single point in Serie A since December's goalless draw with Inter.
Saturday's late win at Lazio - alongside Napoli's home defeat to Roma - means Juventus' defense of the Scudetto is back in their own hands.
Team News
Tottenham's primary injury concern leading up to this clash has come at the heart of defense, with Belgian pair Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen both proving uncertainties.
While Wednesday night's game comes too soon for Alderweireld, Vertonghen completed the full 90 minutes unscathed on Saturday and can expect a recall here.
Heung-min Son started on the bench during the first leg, however his weekend brace should see him get the nod over Erik Lamela for the return tie. Serge Aurier is suspended after picking up his third European yellow card in Turin.
The biggest injury news coming out of the Juventus camp is that Argentine forward Gonzalo Higuaín had appeared a significant doubt following an ankle injury which forced him out of the Lazio clash, however he appears to have won his race to be fit.
Should Higuaín fail in his fitness race, however, then countryman and Saturday's match-winner Paulo Dybala will lead the line for the Italians. Mario Mandzukic has not traveled with the squad.
Former Chelsea wide-man Juan Cuadrado is a long-term absentee and won't feature, with the same applying to fellow winger Federico Bernardeschi.
Prediction
Last month's first leg proves there's very little to separate the two sides, with this tie likely to hinge on very small margins.
Juventus have kept a remarkable 24 clean sheets already this season, with Spurs' ability to strike twice in Turin a real rarity. Those two away goals could prove pivotal for Pochettino's men, with the Italians needing to score to give themselves any chance of progression.
Despite the potential for Higuaín to be missing for the Italians, Juve have enough firepower elsewhere to compensate with Dybala and co. looking to pounce on a Tottenham defense lacking key man Toby Alderweireld. Spurs, however, proved in Turin they have more than enough to cause the Italian back line problems.
This match up will likely see goals at both ends once again with Spurs - who can take confidence from Wembley victories over Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund earlier this European campaign - just edging it.
Prediction: Tottenham 2-1 Juventus
