Daily Dynamo Selections – Benfica v Juventus
Having won the Serie A title all but mathematically, Juventus are also the favourites to add a European trophy to their haul for the season. Seasons past would have seen this match-up with Lyon being played out in Europe's premier Champions League competition, but Benfica have fallen a bit from their halcyon days of their rich history, playing second fiddle to the Porto in the Portugese league. While Juve surprisingly crashed out in the group stage thanks to an unexpected defeat to Turkish side Galatasaray in rather sodden conditions.
Juve will be strong favourites for this tie, with a much stronger team at their disposal than Benfica. The home side must hope that the incandescent atmosphere which characterises the Estadio da Luz can inspire them to greater heights than usual. But Juve certainly look the more equipped to go through to the final, with the midfield trio of Andrea Pirlo, Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal surely one of the most accomplished in Europe.
There is little comfort for the home side with regard to recent form either. Juve have been in excellent form in Serie A, and can afford to fully concentrate on this semi-final with the Italian title pretty much wrapped up for a third consecutive season. What's more, they have been ruthless away from home in both European competition and Serie A this season.
Thus, all evidence points to an away win, and that's what I'm going for in my Daily Dynamo Selections.
Selections: Safe Bet – Juventus to win (7/4 with Paddy Power), Value Bet – Juventus to win by 1 goal (7/2 with Paddy Power)
