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Juventus vs. Tottenham: How Spurs can expose the Old Lady

By Gary Pearson

TURIN, ITALY - DECEMBER 23: Giorgio Chiellini of Juventus in action during the serie A match between Juventus and AS Roma on December 23, 2017 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
TURIN, ITALY - DECEMBER 23: Giorgio Chiellini of Juventus in action during the serie A match between Juventus and AS Roma on December 23, 2017 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images) /
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Tottenham face a colossal challenge tomorrow when they wage war against a Juventus side that haven’t lost in 26 matches at Allianz Stadium in the Champions League.

That formidable unbeaten streak dates back almost five years, to April 2013. But that’s not the only rousing stat the Old Lady currently have on their near immaculate CV.

Juventus, still the best defensive team in Europe

Led by the ageless Giorgio Chiellini, Juventus’ defensive unit perfectly embody what it means to be watertight. Ducks sit back in awe of Juventus’ stingy rearguard, wishing their arses could repel water the way the Old Lady thwarts opposing attacks.

The proof is in the pudding, as Juventus have conceded a solitary goal in their last 16 games in all competitions. That’s a rate of 0.06 goals allowed per game. Unsurprisingly, their current shutout streak – which began on Nov. 22 with a 0-0 draw in the Champions League against Barcelona – is a club record.

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You won’t be surprised, then, to learn that the Bianconeri are thus far flawless in 2018, winning all 11 matches, including Friday’s 2-0 away win over Fiorentina.

Their main talisman, Gonzalo Higuain, is enjoying a sizzling run of form, the Argentinian scoring six goals in four recent matches.

He’s not the only danger man Jan Vertonghen, Eric Dier and Davinson Sánchez need to keep a watchful eye on, as Mario Mandzukic saves his best for the Champions League. The Croatian has bagged four goals in five recent encounters in the world’s most prestigious club competition.

How Spurs can expose Juventus

Now that I’ve reeled off a wondrous list of Juventus accolades, it’s on to the good news. Juventus, currently a point behind Napoli for top spot in Serie A, aren’t without their flaws. They play in an ever so slightly inferior league, with Inter Milan, Roma and Lazio all at least five matches off the pace.

Still one of the best, Chiellini is one of the most sound positional players in world football. He tackles like a rabid beast and has an innate ability to read the play, predicting pending threats in advance. However he concedes pace to Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Son Heung-Min, all of whom can expose the Italian on the break.

Unlikely the away side will see much of the ball, the first leg should lend itself to the terrific Tottenham counter. That suits perfectly Mauricio Pochettino’s side, who have shown their expansive counter-attacking quality in previous Champions League matches against Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid.

More good news for Spurs, as Juan Cuadrado (groin), Blaise Matuidi (thigh), Benedikt “Benni” Höwedes (thigh), Paulo Dybala (thigh), Andrea Barzagli (calf) and Stephan Lichtsteiner (thigh) have all been ruled out through injury .

Scoring a goal, because Juventus haven’t been breached in 16 matches and due to the influence an away goal can have on a tie at this stage, is Tottenham’s main priority.

Next: Who does Pochettino start against Juventus?

While Pochettino will set his team out to sneak an epic away win in their first European test in Turin, escaping the Allianz Stadium with a scored draw will certainly suffice for Spurs, putting them in a strong position for the return leg at Wembley on March 7.