It's another action-packed night in the Champions League with a continental double header. Juventus host Sevilla in Turin and Real Madrid host Ronaldo's old side Sporting Lisbon at the Bernabeu.

Juventus vs Sevilla – Wednesday 14th September 2016 – 19:45 - BT Sport

Can either side kick off their campaign with a win?
Can either side kick off their campaign with a win?

Juventus welcome Sevilla to Turin, in the first round of matches from this season's Champions League group stage games.

Juve come into this game on the back of an emphatic 3-1 win against Sassuolo on Saturday.

Massimiliano Allegri will be delighted with that result, with a home win and record signing Gonzalo Higuain in the goals.

Great Season So Far

Juventus have started the season in excellent fashion, with three wins in their opening three matches

Their 3-1 win against Sassuolo saw Gonzalo Higuain grab two goals inside the first 10 minutes and Miralem Pjanic score in the 27th.

Tough games against Lazio and Fiorentina have been navigated with maximum points and they remain top of Serie A.

This is the first game of the season that they have won by a bigger margin than one goal, that is good news ahead of this opening tie.

Juventus Dominant Again

They find themselves top of Serie A again, they have been completely dominant in the last four years and this season appears to be no different.

Despite reaching the final in the 2014-15 season, they were knocked out at the group stages by Bayern Munich.

Paul Pogba's sale will have been a huge loss but they have strengthened the attacking options at the club, with the addition of Higuain from rivals Napoli.

Juventus will again be one of the sides to beat in this competition, they will also be very keen to progress much further than the last 16.

Juve will be looking to maintain their overall record against Monaco. They have won 2 and lost one of their three meetings, with the 1-0 defeat last year sure to motivate them in this fixture.

Juventus are 8/15 with Gonzalo Higuain the favourite to score first at 11/4.

Juventus
Juve welcome three time Europa League winners Sevilla to Turin

 

Sevilla have had an excellent start to the season themselves, finding themselves second in La Liga after three matches.

They finished last season with a win in the final of the Europa League, beating Liverpool 3-1 in Basle to cap their third successive Europa League crown.

Unai Emery's departure to PSG doesn't appear to have had an adverse effect on the side, with two wins and a draw from their opening games.

They will be looking to progress in the Champions League this term, having been so utterly dominant in the Europa League.

Sevilla come into this match on the back of a 2-1 win against Las Palmas, with two goals in the final five minutes from Sarabia and Fernandez-Luna securing the win.

European Progress The Target

The main challenge for Sevilla will be to progress both domestically and in European competition.

Having won three successive Europa Leagues, Sevilla will be hoping that they can translate that into Europe's premier club competition.

They are still adapting to life without coach Unai Emery, they have also lost top marksmen Kevin Gameiro to Atletico Madrid.

They find themselves in a tough group, with Juventus, Dinamo Zagreb and Olympique Lyonnais completing their group.

Sevilla Underdogs

Sevilla come into this match as underdogs but this could work in their favour, it could allow them the freedom to express themselves.

Turin has historically been a tough place to get results, especially in Serie A where they have an incredible home record.

They did manage to beat Juventus last season, with a 1-0 win in the home fixture enough to complicate matters for the Old Lady, that result went a long way to them finishing second in the group.

Sevilla will be looking to register their second competitive win against Juventus, hoping to secure their passage to the last 16.

Sevilla are 11/2 with Luciano Vietto at 17/2 to open the scoring.

 

Real Madrid vs Sporting Lisbon – Wednesday 14th September 2016 – 19:45 - BT Sport

Can Ronaldo lead Real Madrid to victory over his old club Sporting Lisbon?
Can Ronaldo lead Real Madrid to victory over his old club Sporting Lisbon?

Real Madrid welcome Sporting Lisbon to the Bernebau, in the first round of matches from this season's Champions League group stage games.

Real Madrid come into this game on the back of an emphatic 5-2 win against Osasuna on Saturday.

Zinedine Zidane will be delighted with that result, with a home win and a place at the top of La Liga they are in excellent form.

Great Season So Far

Real have started the season in excellent fashion, with three wins from their opening three games.

Their 5-2 demolition of Osasuna saw five different scorers in Cristiano Ronaldo, Danilo, Sergio Ramos, Pepe and Luka Modric get on the scoresheet.

Along with a 2-1 win against Celta Vigo and a 3-0 win away against Sociedad on the opening day, Zidane will be delighted with the early season form.

Madrid's goal difference of +7 is an excellent start after just three games, they will also be delighted that Atletico and Barcelona have slipped up as well.

Can Real Retain The CL?

Real will be targeting a piece of history this season, as they look to be the first side to retain the Champions League.

They are the current European Champions, having beaten Atletico Madrid in last year's showpiece event in Milan by 5-3 on penalties, having drawn 1-1 after extra time.

The match against Sporting Lisbon sees Real as favourites, with last years comprehensive performances informing that.

Cristiano Ronaldo will also be facing his former side, with Sporting the club United signed him from as a talented youngster.

Real Madrid will be looking to continue their unbeaten record against Sporting. They have won 1 and drawn 1 of their 2 meetings.

Real Madrid are 2/9 with Cristiano Ronaldo the favourite to score first at 5/2.

Real Madrid
Can Real Madrid retain their Champions League crown?

 

Sporting Lisbon have also had an excellent start to the season, with the Portuguese side currently top of the first division.

They have had a 100% start to the season, winning four successive games and they are one of three unbeaten sides in the league this season.

They come into this match on the back of a 3-0 win against Moreirense FC at the weekend, with goals from Gelson Martins, Campbell and Dost completing a comprehensive win.

It was a dominant performance from Monaco, with two goals coming in the second half to complete the result.

European Progress The Target

Sporting's main challenge will be to progress both domestically and in European competition.

Having failed to reach the group stages last year though, they will be delighted to make them this time around.

Like many clubs this season, their main marker this season will be to compete in the Champions League.

They will also be looking to better their second-placed finish in their domestic league, having narrowly lost out to Benfica.

Tough Group For Lisbon

Sporting come into this match as underdogs but this could work in their favour, it could allow them the freedom to express themselves.

They will be looking to create history at the Bernebau, they are yet to beat Real Madrid in competitive football.

Lisbon find themselves in a tough group with Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Legia Warsaw. They will be targeting a minimum third-placed finish in this group.

This will be the first time in 16 years that Sporting will have faced Real Madrid, with a 4-0 defeat and a 2-2 draw their previous results.

Sporting Lisbon are 11/1 with Bas Dost is at 10/1 to open the scoring.

 

Betting Tips

Tip 1: Higuain to score first @ 11/4 and Juventus to win 2-1 @ 15/2

Tip 2: Benzema to score first @ 100/30 and Real Madrid to win 2-1 @ 17/2

 

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