Group E has the highest stakes remaining in the rest the tournament as two teams are still in competition for the final spot in the round of 16. Shakhtar Donetsk has already clinched a berth, but could still find themselves as the second seed from the group, while Juventus desperately needs to beat them to guarantee passage.
Shakhtar Donetsk has had a tremendous UEFA Champions League run. A 2-0 opening win over Nordsjaelland was followed up with 1-1 draw against Juventus. The team established itself shortly after when they topped defending champion Chelsea 2-1 at home. Though Chelsea got them back with a 3-2 win, Donetsk answered against Nordjaelland with a rousing 5-2 drubbing on the road which featured a brace from Willian and a hat-trick from L. Adriano. With a draw, they secure the top spot in Group E, which benefits them profusely. Look for them to play a defensive style to limit Juventus' aggressive style.
Juventus has been inconsistent in the UCL despite being the top team in Italy. They came from behind to draw 2-2 with Chelsea, but followed that up with subsequent draws against Shakhtar Donetsk and Nordsjaelland. Those three draws made it seem that the team had no hopes of the round of 16, but they turned it around with a resound 4-0 drubbing of Nordsjaelland at home and an even more impressive 3-0 dismantling of Chelsea to take complete control of their destiny. A draw works well for Juventus who took more points from Chelsea in their two meetings and would automatically win that tiebreaker. A win guarantees them the top spot in the group.
Prediction: This match means a great deal to both sides and I think that mid-field maestro Andrea Pirlo is primed for a sensational match. 2-1 Juventus.
Start Time: 2:45 PM EST
TV Channel: Fox Soccer 2Go
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