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Juventus are set to play Nantes at the Allianz Stadium on Thursday in the UEFA Europa League.
Juventus come into this game on the back of a 1-0 win over Vincenzo Italiano's Fiorentina in the league. A first-half goal from French midfielder Adrien Rabiot secured the win for Massimiliano Allegri's Juventus.
Nantes, on the other hand, beat Regis Le Bris' Lorient in the league. A second-half goal from midfielder Ludovic Blas sealed the deal for Antoine Kombouare's Nantes.
Juventus vs Nantes Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Juventus have not faced Nantes in the Europa League before.
- Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic has scored eight goals in 12 league starts for Juventus this season.
- French midfielder Adrien Rabiot has managed six goal contributions in 17 league starts for Juventus.
- Midfielder Ludovic Blas has six goal contributions in the league in 19 starts for Nantes this season.
- Nigerian forward Moses Simon has five goals in the league in 19 starts so far for Nantes.
Juventus vs Nantes Prediction
Juventus are currently ninth in the league, and it would not be controversial to say that they have bid a sad adieu to their dream of lifting the league title this season. A poor Champions League campaign saw them demoted to the Europa League, and Juventus' precarious financial and domestic situation means that they can't afford to scoff at any chance of lifting silverware this season, especially that which would see them play Champions League football next season.
Juventus, even before the disastrous 15-point deduction, endured extremely mixed results. While Nantes will be the underdogs on paper, Juventus' form this season means that a negative result would not be surprising.
Nantes, on the other hand, are 13th in the league, but have won three of their last five league games. They finished second in their Europa League group, five points behind German side Freiburg. They lost to Azerbaijani side Qarabag in the group stage, though, which does not bode well.
Midfielder Ludovic Blas, linked with West Ham United and Lille in the past, has done well for Nantes. They also have a name Premier League fans will be familiar with - former Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Moussa Sissoko. Goalkeeper Alban Lafont, once regarded as one of the best young goalkeepers around, has also done fairly well.
It is hard to look past Juventus for this game.
Prediction: Juventus 1-0 Nantes
Juventus vs Nantes Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Juventus
Tip 2: Game to have over / under 2.5 goals - Under 2.5 goals
Tip 3: Juventus to keep a clean sheet - Yes
