Game Preview: Juventus vs. Benfica - UEFA Europa League Semi-Final Second Leg - Thursday, 01/05/2014

After losing the first leg match in Lisbon with the score of 2-1, Juventus host Benfica in the UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg on Thursday, May 1st, 2014 at the Juventus Stadium in Turin.

Over the weekend, Juventus, who only need two points out of the remaining three Serie A games to secure their third consecutive title, beat relegation threatened Sassuolo with the score of 3-1.

Benfica, on the other hand, rested on the weekend having already won the Portuguese Liga title the week before. The Lisbon side are undefeated in their last twenty eight matches across all competitions.

Juventus will most likely be without their midfielder, Arturo Vidal, who is struggling with a knee problem, while Benfica will not be able to count on Andre Gomes due to a suspension.

The odds for the upcoming match in Turin are:

Juventus: 11/20
Draw: 14/5
Benfica: 9/2

To Qualify:

Juventus: 8/11
Benfica: 1/1

Juventus are the favourites to win on Thursday according to the odds. Juve are also the favourites to advance to the final, having scored the important away goal in the first leg match.

Added incentive for Juventus to win the upcoming match is the fact that the tournament final will be played at their home ground and potentially in front of their own fans.

The most likely score, according to the odds, is a 1-0 victory for the Old Lady, valued at 11/2.

The winner will play in the UEFA Europa League Final on May 14th, 2014, most likely against Sevilla, who are up 2-0 vs. Valencia after the first leg match.

It should be a very interesting battle on Thursday.

Enjoy the game everyone!