Catania v Inter Milan
Italian Serie A
Stadio Angelo Massimino – Catania, Italy
12 March 2010 – 19:45 GMT

Inter Milan looks to extend their lead at the top of the Italian Serie A table to seven points as they travel to face Catania on Friday.

Catania v Inter Milan Preview

Inter Milan hold a four point lead in the Serie A table heading into the match while Catania are 15th with 28 points. Inter have a 7-4-2 record on the road and Catania are 4-5-4 at home in the Serie A.

Inter Milan could rest a few players with their second leg in the UEFA Champions League against Chelsea next Tuesday. Milan will be without manager Jose Mourinho, who’s serving the last of a three match touchline ban. Inter will not want to take Catania lightly at home where they have not lost in several months.

Catania won their last home match, a 4-0 thrashing against Bari, and have only conceded 11 goals in 13 matches. Inter have conceded 11 goals in road matches and defeated Udinese 3-2 on their last away match.

A win for Inter Milan would keep their lead above second place AC Milan to at least four and as many as seven. A loss could allow AC Milan to close the gab to one point. With the Champions League match on Tuesday, it’s likely Inter will rest a few players against Catania. They should still field a strong enough team to at least get a draw if not a win.

It won’t be a high scoring match but Inter Milan have showed the consistency in the Serie A to get wins when they need them.

Catania v Inter Milan Prediction

Inter Milan will win the match 1-0.

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Schalke v Stuttgart
German Bundesliga
Veltins Arena – Gelsenkirchen, Germany
12 March 2010 – 19:30 GMT

Schalke can go to the top of the Bundesliga table as they host Stuttgart on Friday, March 12, 2010 at the Veltins-Arena.

Schalke v Stuttgart Preview

Stuttgart face a tough test playing at Schalke ahead of their UEFA Champions League second leg match at the Camp Nou on next Wednesday against Barcelona. Schalke are 9-2-2 at home with a +14 goal difference. Stuttgart are 4-4-4 with an even goal difference on the road.

The key for Schalke this season in the Bundesliga has been their defense as they’ve allowed a league low 19 goals in 25 matches. Stuttgart did not have a great first half of the season and sacked former manager Markus Babbel. Christian Gross stepped in after Babbel and has led Stuttgart to only one loss since taking over. With the Champions League match not till next Wednesday, Stuttgart should be able to field their strongest side and still be ready for the trip to Spain.

Stuttgart sits 7th in the table heading into the match and seven points back of the last Europa League spot. They are unlikely to play in Europe next season which will be disappointing considering they reach they’ve reach the knockout stage in the Champions League. Schalke are two points behind league leaders Bayern Munich. A win on Friday would boost their title chances as they have several tough matches in the upcoming weeks (at Hamburg, Leverkusen, and home against Bayern).

Schalke will be favored with five straight home wins at home but Stuttgart have a strong 3-2-0 record in their last five away matches.

Schalke v Stuttgart Prediction

Schalke will win the match 2-0.

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Theo Walcott’s disappointing performance in England’s friendly against Egypt saw his World Cup hopes written-off by large sections of the media. Fabio Capello replaced the ineffective Arsenal youngster after 57 minutes with Shaun Wright-Phillips who went on to score England’s second goal and set up the third. Subsequently, Walcott’s below-par performance came in for scathing criticism from former England winger Chris Waddle who labelled the former Southampton star as lacking a “football brain”.

Waddle said:

“I’ve never seen him develop. He just doesn’t understand the game for me – where to be running, when to run inside a full back, when to just play a one-two. It’s all off the cuff.”

“I just don’t think he’s got a football brain and he’s going to have problems.”

But three days later Walcott hit back by instinctively cutting inside the Burnley defence and firing home with his left foot to give Arsenal a timely 2-1 lead in his first full 90 minutes of league action this season. Were it not for Nicklas Bendtner’s woeful finishing Walcott would also have claimed an assist with the type of glorious curling cross David Beckham would be proud of. Arguably it was his understanding of the game and how to utilise his pace that caused the Burnley backline so many problems. So, with Walcott’s chances of booking a seat on the plane to South Africa seemingly rescued by one performance, who else can take heart and reignite the dying embers of their World Cup dreams?

Phil Jagielka is back in business

Before rupturing the anterior crucial ligament in his left knee last April, Phil Jagielka was establishing himself as a regular member of Capello’s England squads. A string of commanding club performances had seen him rewarded with three England caps and he went on to be crowned Everton’s Player of the Season. His return from injury last month was delayed when Everton’s reserve fixture against Bolton was postponed due to a frozen pitch, but an injury to Philippe Senderos at Sporting Lisbon two days later saw Jagielka return to first-team action as a substitute. Everton manager David Moyes fielded Jagielka from the start in Sunday’s 5-1 demolition of Hull and the former Sheffield United stopper knows a return to the form he showed last season will have him knocking on Capello’s door once again.

Jagielka said the greatest moment of his club career had been taken away when his knee injury ruled him out of Everton’s FA Cup final against Chelsea, so he would no doubt recognise the World Cup as the greatest moment of his International career. Given the continuing doubts over Rio Ferdinand’s long-term fitness and lack of players staking a claim to deputise, could Jagielka yet force his way into Capello’s plans?

Suitcase for South Africa: In the cupboard, but not beyond reach.

Frustrating times for Joe Cole

Joe Cole was one of England’s best players at the 2006 World Cup. Not only did he score a sensational goal against Sweden, but time and again his trickery on the left wing caused problems for the opposition. However, Cole has cut a figure of frustration at Stamford Bridge this season as he looks to rediscover top form after a year out with a serious knee injury. With just ten weeks to go until Capello names his provisional 30-man squad time is fast running out. However, with Chelsea chasing Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup glory, there appear to be plenty of games for Cole to prove his worth.

Much of Cole’s lack of action can be attributed to the rich form of Florent Malouda, but against Egypt it was Steven Gerrard who was once again asked to play in the unfamiliar left midfield role. Therefore, if Cole, like Walcott, can silence those who doubt his World Cup credentials then surely Capello must give him a chance?

Suitcase for South Africa: Empty and wide open – football kit one side of it, holiday gear on the other.

Sol Campbell remains hopeful

What a season it has been for Sol Campbell. In September he made his first and final appearance in a Notts County shirt away to Morecambe. He left shortly after claiming promises had not been kept and there was speculation this could spell the end of his career. Fast forward a few months and having been re-signed by Arsenal, Campbell has scored a vital Champions League goal at Porto and deputised for the injured William Gallas at the heart of defence. So having forced his way back into the Premier League can Sol stake a claim for a place on the plane to South Africa?

Campbell may have lost a yard of pace over the years, but the international game is not the same as the Premier League. Italy have opted for experienced, aging defenders over the years such as Fabio Cannavaro and Alessandro Nesta, so as an Italian, might Capello do the same?

Suitcase for South Africa: Next to the medical box – in case of emergency.

Gary Neville appears to be back to his best

With Glen Johnson slowly feeling his way back to fitness and Wes Brown ruled out for the next four to six weeks, Capello will no doubt be casting a watchful eye over other alternatives at right back. Gary Neville has  been plagued by injury himself for the last three years, but in recent weeks he appears to have put those troubles behind him. Neville’s display at Old Trafford against Milan in the Champions League was reminiscent of the Gary Neville of old. Admittedly Ronaldinho’s failure to track back gave Neville the time and space to push forward, but the cross he supplied for Wayne Rooney’s first goal was first class.

Should injuries continue to curse England’s first choice right backs then surely Capello could do worse than call on Neville’s experience?

Suitcase for South Africa: Frayed around the edges and hasn’t been used properly for some time. Remains to be seen if it is still up to the job.

Joleon Lescott is versatile and a danger from set-pieces

Since joining Manchester City Joleon Lescott has failed to reproduce the consistent form he showed at Everton. But perhaps his lack of form can be attributed to the number of new players at Eastlands, the change in manager or his two months out following knee surgery to clear floating debris. However, during his time at Everton, Lescott demonstrated he is capable of playing at left-back or centre back, as well as contributing goals from set-pieces. With Capello sweating on the fitness of Ashley Cole and Rio Ferdinand, Lescott stands out as a player able to cover either position and his selection would free up another place in the squad for a fifth striker.

Lescott can expect to play a significant part in City’s battle to finish fourth and will no doubt be watched by Capello a number of times with games against Manchester United, Arsenal and Aston Villa coming up. Can he remind Capello why City were prepared to spend more than £20million for his services and make it into his provisional squad?

Suitcase for South Africa: In the spare room and may not be needed.

Juventus 3-1 Fulham
UEFA Europa League
11 March 2010

Juventus would get a 3-1 win at home with the second leg heading back to London and Craven Cottage.

It was a great first half for Juventus who would score three first half goals. The first came from Legrottaglie in the 9th minute, the second from Zebina in the 25th minute, and the third from Trezeguet in the 45th minute.

As Juventus led 2-0 after Zebina’s goal, Fulham would cut the lead in half and appeared to be grabbing the momentum. A goal in the 36th minute from Etuhu made it 2-1. Unfortunately for Fulham they couldn’t keep that momentum alive and Juventus scored again in 1st half stoppage time to make it 3-1.

Neither team would score in the second half but both had some chances. American Clint Dempsey came in as a substitute to play his first minutes since a knee injury but looked a bit rusty. Overall, Juventus were the better side and are in good position to advance but Fulham are not out of it yet.

Juventus 3-1 Fulham Video Highlights

Join celebrated football pundit, author, radio show host and DJ Andy Brassell every Monday on the Soccerlens Show.

In Episode 19, Andy talks about the recent action-packed Champions League matches. Arsenal took on Porto and smashed home 5-0, winning the tie 6-2 and over in Spain, Real Madrid failed to secure a win at home against Lyon and got knocked out of the Champions League.

Andy further discusses the positions of the four clubs involved in their respective leagues and how there have been ups and downs in their recent forms and what could we expect in the future. Real Madrid deserves a special mention here because they have spent huge amounts of money in the last summer and they still couldn’t go pass the Round of 16. Plus, Bernabeu has been named as the Champions League final venue.

You can watch the show below or by following this link:

Make sure you send in your feedback and questions through tv@soccerlens.com and Andy will feature the best of them in next week’s show.

Subscribe to The Soccerlens Show

You can subscribe to the Soccerlens Show RSS feed to be automatically notified when there’s a new show, and you can also subscribe to Soccerlens’ Youtube channel.

A bit late, but this is a classic by D-Wreck – an exclusive interview with Wayne Bridge on John Terry’s ‘alleged’ affair with Vanessa Perroncel:

Lille 1-0 Liverpool
UEFA Europa League
11 March 2010

It was an even match but Lille scored a late goal to get a 1-0 lead after the first leg on Thursday.

Lille started out the match as the better team but Liverpool would get the better of play late in the first half. It remained scoreless at halftime with both sides getting chances.

Liverpool once again struggled to score goals away from Anfield as they would be held scoreless for the 90 minutes. Lille would continue to attack and eventually get a 85th minute goal from Eden Hazard. It proved to be the difference and gave Lille a 1-0 lead heading into the second leg.

Lille 1-0 Liverpool Video Highlights

Hazard 85′ (1-0)

This comes in as a consolation for the Liverpool fans because Real Madrid’s exit from the Champions League at the hands of Lyon after going on a spending-spree of €200m is a much bigger disappointment. They brought in some of the best in the world like Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United, Kaka from AC Milan, Karim Benzema from Lyon, Raul Albiol from Valencia, Alvaro Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso from Liverpool and their youth product Esteban Granero from Getafe.

All of that seems to be useless as they failed to defeat Lyon at the Bernabeu in the return leg. They were already trailing 1-0 from the game in Stade Gerland. The fans are certainly not happy with the club and the board might not be pleased with the current performance of the Galacticos.

It will be very inconvenient for football in general, in case they ever end up making the claim that they are concentrating on the league. Although they have managed to level with the last year’s mega-champions Barcelona but they’re ahead only on a tiny goal difference. If all goes well for both the Spanish and the Catalan giants, the game at the Bernebeu between the two might be the decider of who will be crowned the 2009/2010 La Liga champions.

Last night’s game against Lyon was kind of over-shadowed by David Beckham’s return to Old Trafford after seven years and that too playing against United. As much as it was hyped about, there was nothing special in it. In fact, Beckham almost gave away another goal to United but thanks to Thiago Silva it didn’t happen.

Anyways, here’s what the Real Madrid superstars had to say after the game:

Iker Casillas, Goalkeeper

I apologize on behalf of the team. We inexplicably dropped in intensity.

Guti, Midfielder

We can not fight as if we are a team.

Kaka, Midfielder

It’s a big blow, a very difficult time for Real Madrid and the fans. All we can do is apologize to the fans. We had all been looking forward to playing in a Champions League final at the Bernabeu and we have not achieved that.

Sergio Ramos, Defender

There is a curse and hopefully this run will end soon.

Manuel Pellegrini, Manager

We would have liked to have won it all. Hopefully we can win the championship, as did the club with Capello and Schuster. You can not assess such a large project in six months.

Interviews

Five referees. Wage caps. The 6+5 rule. Michel Platini may be on a mission to over-complicate just about everything in European football, but on some subjects nobody can accuse him of neglecting the essentials. Take his visit to Kyiv in early July 2008. The UEFA president emerged visibly frustrated from a series of meetings to discuss the virtual absence of any progress in infrastructure development with the Euro 2012 organising committee and announced that: ”if there are no stadiums there can be no games”.

Just over eighteen months later, however, things are looking brighter. As the qualifying draw for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine took place last month in Warsaw’s Palace of Culture & Science, the new National Stadium across town was at last beginning to resemble a football arena ready to host the opening game, rather than an outdoor version of Piotr Wiwczarek’s hotel room after a final tour date. Likewise, construction of NSK Olimpiyskiy in Kyiv, the venue for the final on July 1, 2012, seems to be back on track after an apparently interminable series of bureacratic wranglings.

Progress on the grounds outside the capitals is also generally satisfying. In Ukraine, both the Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv and Donetsk’s stunning Donbass Arena – the construction of which consumed ten tonnes of paper in technical drawings alone – opened last year. The Polish venues, meanwhile, are not too far behind, with the reconstructed Stadion Miejski in Poznań probably the most advanced, followed by the over-sized Chinese lantern which will become the Maślice in Wrocław.

Platini should probably hold off the cigar for a while longer, though. Those responsible for the PGE Arena in Gdańsk do not appear to have prioritised actually building it, preferring to spend far more time trying to sell the naming rights or producing incomprehensible promotional material which describes the stadium as having ”a striking amber-like form, which opens into its surrounding environment in all directions like flowing streams”. Those of a less poetic bent would probably describe the designs as a fairly blatant knock-off of the Allianz Arena in Munich.

Gdańsk is nevertheless some way ahead of Lviv, where authorities are still trying to find an official name for the as-yet barely begun stadium, let alone a pair of scissors for the opening ribbon. The main problem is that preparations in the city lack significant support from local business figures, and where Kharkiv and Donetsk have been able to call on the resources of Oleksandr Yaroslavsky and Rinat Akhmetov in the construction of their new arenas, the already cash-strapped authorities in Lviv have been forced to rely almost entirely on central funds.

The then-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko declared on a visit late last year that the government had given around UAH 50 million to the city, but even this failed to stop the stadium contractor from downing tools in February, ostensibly in protest at sub-standard designs produced by an architectural firm without a license to operate in Ukraine. The real news here to anyone who had passed the site over the previous months was that the tools had even been picked up in the first place.

On the whole, however, the issue of Euro 2012 stadiums is gradually being resolved. By the standards of the 2004 Olympics, where the main stadium in Athens was completed only two months before the opening ceremony, they may even be ahead of schedule. On the other hand, the real questions about the prospects for a successful tournament lie – as so often in this part of the world – strictly off the pitch.

Preparations for sporting events – and often the events themselves – on the scale of Euro 2012 inevitably become politicised, and the practical consequences of this are rarely positive. That UEFA could award the tournament to a joint bid from Ukraine and Poland and involve not one but two sets of governments, local authorities and governing associations – none with any experience of similar projects – and not expect political complications seems unlikely, but the scale of these has been enough to surprise even the most cynical observer.

The most prominent example has undoubtedly been the Olimpiyskiy in Kyiv. With no sign of any building activity several months after a USD 300 million construction contract was awarded, Ukraine’s president at the time Viktor Yushchenko issued a statement claiming that officials at the sports ministry were set on what he described as ”sabotage” of the project, and requested that Tymoshenko investigate the matter further.

Platini then weighed in with the announcement that the Troitskyi shopping centre under development alongside the stadium site would endanger the latter’s UEFA certification, as it would prevent the ground from being properly evacuated. Yushchenko issued an executive order to have the centre demolished but nobody listed to him, and only a visit from Platini succeeding in getting the bulldozers moving.

Unfortunately the demolition work ceased almost as soon as the UEFA president was safely on his way back to the airport. A furious Tymoshenko immediately pointed the finger at Leonid Chernovetskyi, known to moonlight occasionally as mayor of Kyiv when not trying to run Arsenal Kyiv into the ground, and alleged a plot to damage the goverment’s credibility. The mayor, she added, had ”issued the construction permit on a corrupt basis”, and the Troitskyi ”was put up illegally”.

Chernovetskyi’s response was to claim that the company responsible for the centre was due compensation of 8,000 hectares of prime real estate on the outskirts of the city, and that Tymoshenko was responsible for the stoppage in demolition by refusing to sign the relevant paperwork. With Football Federation of Ukraine chairman Hryhoriy Surkis doing his utmost to calm the situation by claiming that: ”If work on tearing down Troitskyi is truly stopped, it is one step nearer to the final downfall of all our hopes”, Yushchenko intervened again with rather more success than the first time and ordered Tymoshenko to transfer the land.

The Troitskyi is merely the highest-profile example of how the Euro 2012 preparations not only have to contend with governments, but local authorities and innumerable sets of interests. That these intersecting pressures would cause difficulties was almost universally accepted by the wider Polish and Ukrainian public from the very beginning, and few held out any real hope of substantial co-operation.

This negativity is in fact so extensive that, according to one poll, over three-quarters of Ukrainians expect the management of the tournament to be at least partially corrupt. Only four per cent believe that the preparations will not be tainted in any way. Yushchenko himself openly confirmed the problem, complaining that: ”Right now we have three different government agencies working on preparations – not to help us get ready, but to divert the maximum amount of money possible into the black economy”.

When corruption in relation to Euro 2012 has been raised as an issue in the international media, much of the focus has been on events in Poland. A succession of revelations over the past four years involving match-fixing and bribery have seen over 200 arrests – including the son of former national team manager Jerzy Engel – and several top-flight clubs forcibly demoted to the lower divisions. In an interview with Bild, Jan Tomaszewski claimed that: ”Poland is the most corrupt country in the football world”; and as the current domestic season kicked off in July 2009, only 15 referees had permission to officiate at the highest level.

Tomaszewski went on to suggest that: ”If nothing happens, he [Platini] should take Euro 2012 away from us”. The corruption battle has certainly not created an ideal working environment for the organising authorities, not least because of near-permanent chaos at the Polish Football Federation (PZPN). FIFA, it should be pointed out, have hardly helped matters, threatening to exclude the national team from competition after viewing an attempt by the Polish Olympic Committee to suspend the PZPN board in September 2008 as constituting undue political interference.

Yet it is hard to see how turmoil in the domestic game is in itself fatal to Poland’s capacity to host an international tournament – no Polish clubs and, hopefully, very few Polish referees will be involved. When it comes to corruption, the real problem in both Poland and Ukraine is instead, as Yushchenko recognised all too well, graft on a municipal and political level.

Simply put, the central funding pots allocated for Euro 2012 represent the chance of a lifetime for the more unscrupulous operators within the system. As any of the Ukrainians who delivered such a bleak verdict in the above poll could explain, the lengths to which some officials will go in order to divert funds into their own pockets are endless – and often remarkably creative.

Although the specifics vary, the most popular formula remains broadly unchanged. City officials, faced with an issue – real or imagined – which needs resolving before the tournament begins, apply for central funds far in excess of the cost of the solution, deal with the problem in question as cheaply as possible, and pocket the balance.

To take just one of the more bizarre examples, council managers in the eastern city of Luhansk, expected to serve as an arrival point for fans attending matches in nearby Donetsk, have been accused by animal rights groups of drawing up plans to kill stray dogs in the area by using discounted poison, rather than the more humane (and expensive) methods on which their funding application was budgeted.

Problems such as these have the effect of exacerbating the difficulty of already monumental tasks in infrastructure development. Along with the stadiums, Ukraine alone has been estimated to require investment of up to USD 25 billion in roads, hotels and general services. Whilst much of this is expected to come from the private sector – in addition to the Metalist Stadium, Yaroslavsky has also financed the renovation of Kharkiv International Airport – the country is essentially being asked to make good in two years what went wrong in fifty.

Half the problem is even knowing where to start. The distances between some of the hosting cities are the longest ever for a European Championship – the 1,556 kilometres between Poznań and Donetsk means that the Polish city is closer to London than the Donbass. Travel the same distance south-east from Donetsk and you’ll almost reach Tehran. To complicate matters further, there are currently no direct flights or trains between the two cities.

Even for those venues located closer together, logistical headaches loom for many supporters. Whilst both government have promised improvements to the often-dilapidated road networks, visitors will still need to plan for rail delays at the border caused by the need to switch train gauges from the Polish track width to the narrower Ukrainian setting, along with the small matter of the European Union frontier running right down the middle of the hosting area.

Unfortunately, the problems may not be over once everyone actually makes it to their destinations. Kyiv is some way off being able to provide the 7,300 four- and five-star hotel rooms demanded by UEFA, and the chronic shortage of accomodation in Donetsk has lead the authorities to consider plans to base fans in the coastal city of Mariupol.

As if that wasn’t enough, a curiously fascinating study recently bemoaned the lack of public toilets in the Ukrainian capital, where only six facilities are signposted (all of them on the main Khreshchatyk thoroughfare). The same analysis also effectively put the kibosh on any prospect of near-term improvement by calculating that any loo entrepreneurs should expect a wait of up to seven years for a return on their investment.

How much of all of this will be fixed – and how much it is even possible to fix – by June 8, 2012 remains an unanswered question. Whether it is the most important question, however, is another issue. Few seem prepared to look beyond the building sites and ask what hosting the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine really means.

For starters, it represents the righting of a historical wrong. Aside from the 1976 tournament in Yugoslavia – which featured only four teams – the European Championship has never before taken place in eastern Europe. Given the glittering contribution of the region to the development of the game over the past decades, it seems only fitting that the latter should at last give something back to the lands of Tomaszewski and Valery Lobanovksyi, lands where some people are so hopelessly in love with football that they actually pay to watch Polonia Warsaw.

Secondly, it might just be the last chance to enjoy a tournament which actually has its own characteristics and soul. Poland and Ukraine represent, at least in some ways, an antidote to football across the continent which is increasingly becoming a homogenised plastic shell, and represent a challenge to the idea that ’developed’ tournament infrastructure and ’positive’ fan experiences must resemble those found in western Europe.

Memo to UEFA – if you don’t want your tournaments to have eastern European features, don’t hold them in eastern Europe. It’s not going to be perfect, and surely even Platini would accept that the normal way of running things is not going to be turned upside down just because there is a football tournament involved.

But offering different experiences is surely the whole point behind rotating the host nation, and it is interesting to reflect that the most memorable sporting events – for better or worse – are those which contain something of the society which surrounds them. Just over 800 days to go. See you there.

Juventus v Fulham
UEFA Europa League Round of 16 1st Leg
11 March 2010 – 20:05 GMT

Juventus will begin the UEFA Europa League round of 16 with a first leg match against English Premier League side Fulham on Thursday.

Juventus v Fulham Preview

Juventus is looking to find success in the Europa League after a disappointing season in the Serie A and Champions League. They had a chance to make the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League but a home loss in the last group stage match-day put them in the Europa League. A run into the semifinals or final of the Europa League would help to compensate for their poor showing in the other competitions.

Fulham, who are currently 10th in the Premier League, defeated reigning UEFA Cup Champions Shakhtar Donetsk in the round of 32. They were not expected to advance past the Ukrainian side but a 1-1 draw on the road was enough. Manager Roy Hodgson has instilled a discipline 4-4-2 system that has made Fulham one of the strongest defensive side in England.

Juventus have had a rollercoaster season that included being near the top of the table to start the Serie A season and then dropping to as low as 7th place. They are in 6th place in the league table heading into Thursday’s match. Juventus advanced to the round of 16 with a 2-1 aggregate win against Ajax Amsterdam.

Both sides will be missing key players for Thursday’s match. Juventus is without goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini, and Amauri. Fulham is missing Andrew Johnson, Clint Dempsey, and John Pantsil for the trip to Italy. Juventus will be favored in the home match but Fulham have surprised in the Europa League.

Fulham will be satisfied with a draw and if they can get an away goal. It should be Juventus attacking in the match and Fulham looking for chances on the counterattack. Bobby Zamora leads Fulham with three goals in the Europa League while Amauri has two for Juventus.

Juventus v Fulham Prediction

The match will end in a 1-1 draw.

Watch Juventus v Fulham Live Online

You can watch Juventus v Fulham live online as well as all other Europa League games. Read our live Europa League football page for more details.