Maccabi Haifa vs Juventus prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2022-10-10 16:45.
Maccabi Haifa’s UEFA Champions League (UCL) has gone pretty much as expected so far given the quality of the opposition in Group H, with three defeats from their opening three matchdays – including a 3-1 loss away to opponents here Juventus. Another defeat in this clash would ensure last season’s champions of Israel finish bottom of the group, which will be an outcome many expect given they’ve lost four of their last five competitive matches (W1).
Maccabi have also won only one of their six meetings against Italian opposition (D1, L4), making Juve an unwelcome adversary. But although their prospects of success look slim, the hosts do have a rather rich recent home European record to fall back on, with their defeat in matchday two to Paris Saint-Germain representing just their second loss from their last 18 European home games (W11, D5).
After a sluggish start to the season, there was a sense that Serie A (SA) giants Juventus might have turned a corner after they beat Bologna 3-0 at home last weekend (3-0) before following it up with the 3-1 victory against Maccabi. However, a costly 2-0 SA defeat away to AC Milan last weekend has brought them back down to earth and now Massimiliano Allegri’s men must secure a win in Haifa if they are to keep hopes alive of making it to the round of 16 for a ninth straight season.
They start the round four points behind PSG and Benfica who face off against each other in Paris so that deficit can be clawed back this week. Yet it’s hard to rely on the two-time European champions’ form on the road given Juve have failed to win any competitive away game since April of last season (D2, L5), and coincidentally, just like last Saturday, Juventus conceded exactly two goals in four of those five defeats.
Players to watch: Maccabi’s Dean David scored his side’s only goal in the reverse meeting last week, marking three goals across his last three matches, all of which came in the final 15 minutes. Prior to his blank at the San Siro, Juventus’ Dušan Vlahović had registered five goal contributions across his last four matches for club and country (G3, A2).
Hot streak: Last week’s 3-1 H2H win was the only occasion across Juventus’ last seven UCL matches in which they scored more than once.