RSS
ATOM
Peace Cup Final Preview: Juventus - Aston Villa
The two best sides of the Peace Cup will fight for the title on Sunday, as Juve take on Aston Villa...
| Bet: | Returns: | Wigan Athletic £25.50 | Draw £32.00 | Aston Villa £25.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Wigan Athletic £28.80 | Draw £32.00 | Aston Villa £25.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Wigan Athletic £27.50 | Draw £32.50 | Aston Villa £26.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Wigan Athletic £28.80 | Draw £32.50 | Aston Villa £25.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Wigan Athletic £26.50 | Draw £32.00 | Aston Villa £24.50 |
|
Aug 2, 2009 1:44:01 AM
Kick-Off: Sunday, August 2, 22:00 CET. Estadio Olimpico de Sevilla, Spain.
Brilliant Bianconeri
The 2009 Peace Cup has brought a whole host of top-class teams together, but in truth, Juventus have been a cut above the rest. Going into the final, they remain the only team with a perfect record, having dispatched of Sevilla, Seongnam Ilhwa and Real Madrid respectively. While some of the other teams have left the tournament with more questions than answers, Juve look set for their best season in recent memory.
Perhaps the most pleasing aspect for the Old Lady has been the seamless transition that their three major signings have made into the team. Fabio Cannavaro already looks a far more assured figure than he ever did at the Bernabeu, even managing to score against his former club after just three minutes. Meanwhile, Diego has got his first goal (although he has since been injured), while Felipe Melo has been solid in midfield.
The 2-1 win over Madrid, their third against Los Merengues in the last year, confirmed that Juve will be a force to reckon with this season. With Martin Caceres and perhaps others still to join, things can only get better. They appear to be peaking at just the right time, which can only be bad news for Aston Villa.
Just Enough
In contrast to Juve, Aston Villa's progress to the final has been quite complicated, but no-one can deny that they deserve to be there. After a disappointing 1-0 loss to Malaga in their opening match, they battled to beat Atlante 3-1, topping the group on goal difference in the process. A clinical 2-1 win over Porto then ensured that they would make the showpiece occasion on Sunday.
There have been obstacles along the way, not least Stiliyan Petrov's injury and Emile Heskey's sending off in the last game, but Villa's determination will certainly have pleased Martin O'Neill. With the Premier League season inching ever closer, time is running out for sides to finalise their preparations. Regardless of the final result, O'Neill will surely feel that the Peace Cup has provided plenty of positives for his side.
Therefore, the match against Juventus is clearly Villa's most important thus far. For a side with genuine designs on breaking into the 'Big Four', it should provide a fair gauge of their current level. Expect a close contest, for as O'Neill's touchline antics against Atlante proved, Villa are ready to take on anyone.
FORM GUIDE
Juventus
Jul 31 Juventus 2-1 Real Madrid (Peace Cup)
Jul 28 Juventus 3-0 Seongnam (Peace Cup)
Jul 24 Sevilla 1-2 Juventus (Peace Cup)
Jul 21 Juventus 1-1 Vicenza (Friendly)
Jul 19 Nancy 1-1 Juventus (Friendly)
Aston Villa
Jul 31 Aston Villa 2-1 Porto (Peace Cup)
Jul 29 Aston Villa 3-1 Atlante (Peace Cup)
Jul 25 Malaga 1-0 Aston Villa (Peace Cup)
Jul 21 Colchester 2-2 Aston Villa (Friendly)
TEAM NEWS
Juventus
Claudio Marchisio, Momo Sissoko, Paolo De Ceglie and Diego are all unavailable.
Probable Starting XI: Buffon - Grygera, Cannavaro, Chiellini, Salihamidzic - Tiago, Melo, Camoranesi, Giovinco - Amauri, Del Piero
Aston Villa
Stiliyan Petrov is injured, while Emile Heskey is suspended.
Probable Starting XI: Friedel - Shorey, Cuellar, Davies, Lichaj - Albrighton, Sidwell, Reo-Coker, Bannan - Young, Carew
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Juventus - Having worked his way back to full fitness, Felipe Melo will be ready to show what he is made of, and can be expected to make life very tough for the Villa midfield.
Aston Villa - In the absence of Heskey, much of the attacking burden will fall upon Ashley Young, who will want to prove himself against one of Europe's best teams.
PREDICTION
Aston Villa have made life difficult for everyone in this tournament, so it should be a close contest. However, Juventus have been the best side thus far, and should have enough to lift the trophy.
Juventus 3-1 Aston Villa
Arjun Miglani, Goal.com
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £100 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power for a free bet up to £50 |
|
Thank you for your comment!
Please enter your name
Please enter your location
Please share your comment!
90 Comments
Advertisement
Inside Goal.Com
-
Champions League Player Ratings: Basel 1-0 Bayern
Goal.com assesses the individuals on show as the Swiss champions shocked the Bavarian giants at St. Jakob-Park
-
Champions League Player Ratings: Marseille 1-0 Inter
Goal.com evaluates the performances of those involved in the last 16 clash at the Stade Velodrome, a game decided by Andre Ayew's last-gasp goal
-
Player Ratings: Manchester City 4-0 Porto
Roberto Mancini's side book their place in the last 16 with a convincing victory thanks to goals from Aguero, Dzeko, Silva and Pizarro
-
Lavezzi sends Napoli close to dreamland
The Azzurri have half-a-foot in the quarter-finals after claiming their latest San Paolo scalp, but the Londoners will be thanking their lucky stars the defeat wasn't heavier
-
Real Madrid should have killed off CSKA Moscow
Jose Mourinho's men went ahead through Cristiano Ronaldo's first-half strike, but the Portuguese missed two good chances to make the game safe and his side paid the price
Advertisement
Advertisement
