Al Ain vs Juventus Predictions, Odds and Best Bet

Joseph Beguiristain Sports Betting Expert

12 minute read

Al Ain will face Juventus on Wednesday at 9:00 PM EDT in Club World Cup Match Day 1 action from Audi Field in Washington, D.C.

Considered one of the top three favorites alongside Bayern Munich and Manchester City, Juventus is strongly favored to win their opening Club World Cup game against Al Ain FC. The Italian side is listed at odds of -455, indicating an 82% chance of victory.

What was expected to be a revival season for Juventus under new manager Thiago Motta quickly fell apart, culminating in a disappointing exit from the Champions League in February. This ultimately led to Motta's dismissal.

Interim manager Igor Tudor has secured Champions League qualification and now faces the challenge of proving he is the right person to restore Juventus to the pinnacle of European football.

Meanwhile, Al Ain has experienced three managerial changes this season and needs to reach peak form to reclaim the level that allowed them to clinch the AFC Champions League title in 2024.

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Updated on 6/18/25

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Analysis of the Match

The Club World Cup presents Igor Tudor with a unique opportunity to solidify his position as the permanent manager of Juventus. Tudor has met expectations, similar to his time at Lazio last season, where he stepped in with nine games remaining and averaged two points per game, successfully guiding Juventus to Champions League qualification.

However, the Croatian manager has not fully addressed Juventus's weaknesses, particularly their inability to control matches against strong opponents. This vulnerability was highlighted in three 1-1 draws against Roma, Bologna, and Lazio, where Juventus conceded goals after taking the lead. This issue has occurred ten times in Italy's top flight this season.

The team remains talented but inconsistent, with 16 draws in Serie A. Their defense has struggled, especially following Bremer's injury in October 2024.

Despite their attacking potential, Juventus's forward line has been somewhat cautious, finishing with the seventh-best scoring record (58 goals) and expected goals (xG) tally (51.52) in Serie A.

Tudor's high press and direct approach have improved their scoring slightly, with the team averaging 1.44 goals per match. There is now anticipation to see if Juventus can elevate their performance on the international stage.

While Juventus is expected to dominate, Al Ain FC's advantage of having played nine fewer games may prove crucial. As the UAE's most successful team, Al Ain is accustomed to controlling matches, setting the stage for an intriguing clash against a more vigorous opponent. Al Ain's games often promise plenty of goals, though some may find themselves in the wrong net this time.

Al Ain Analysis and Form

The AFC Champions League 2024 winners have had a challenging season.

On the international front, they were unable to secure a victory in any of their eight group-stage matches, resulting in a disappointing exit from the competition with a goal difference of -11.

Domestically, Al Ain, the only UAE club to have ever won the continental title, faced difficulties as well. They finished fifth in the league and were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the domestic cup.

A damaging 5-1 defeat to Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr led to the dismissal of manager Hernan Crespo. His successor, Leonardo Jardim, did not improve the situation, lasting only 88 days in the role.

The current manager, Serbian Vladimir Ivic, previously of PAOK and Watford, has won six of his 13 matches in charge and aims to revitalize a squad that has been struggling in form.

Al Ain's strength lies in their attacking players, including the accomplished goalscorer Kodjo Laba and Soufiane Rahimi, the 2024 Champions League Golden Boot winner. However, Ivic's preferred 4-3-3 formation may leave the team vulnerable against more vigorous opponents.

Juventus Analysis and Form

After an ambitious transfer window and significant player turnover, Juventus's season has not gone as planned.

Italy's most decorated club has been absent from the title race and has experienced a disappointing Champions League campaign, finishing 20th in the league phase.

Following a defeat to PSV in the playoff and another setback in the Coppa Italia, the Juventus management decided to dismiss manager Thiago Motta, who struggled to establish a coherent playing system for the Bianconeri.

Former Juventus defender Igor Tudor was appointed as the manager with nine matches remaining in the season. Under his leadership, the team secured five crucial wins, including a decisive victory in the final game against Venezia, which earned them a spot in the Champions League.

Due to a lack of better managerial alternatives, rather than an authentic commitment to Tudor, Juventus is seriously considering offering him the job on a permanent basis, paving the way for another summer of rebuilding for the club.

Head to Head Analysis

This summer’s Club World Cup has been surrounded by negativity since its announcement, primarily due to the increased physical toll on players and financial incentives taking precedence over rest. While these concerns may hold some truth, the beauty of this competition lies in the fact that some of the participating clubs may never face each other again.

For example, Al-Ain from the United Arab Emirates and Juventus from Italy have never met on the pitch for obvious reasons. Adding to the intrigue, neither team has ever played against a club from their opponent’s country. However, Al-Ain, much like Italy’s most successful club, possesses a strong continental reputation. The Argentinian goalscoring legend Hernan Crespo recently led Al-Ain to an AFC Champions League victory in 2024, marking the second time in the club’s history that they achieved this honor.

Similarly, Juventus has been crowned champions of Europe twice, with their most recent victory in UEFA’s premier domestic tournament occurring in 1996. Both clubs will be making their debuts at the Club World Cup this summer.

Team News and Predicted Lineups

Al Ain Possible Starting Lineup:
Eisa; Traore, Al-Hashemi, Koumare, Erik; Park, Al Baloushi; Atzili, Romero, Rahimi; Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba.

Juventus Possible Starting Lineup:
Di Gregorio; Kelly, Gatti, Kalulu; Cambiaso, Thuram, Locatelli, Gonzalez; Yildiz, Conceicao; Vlahovic.

Al Ain played and won a friendly match against Auckland FC on June 11th. A key positive from that warm-up fixture was the performance of Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba, who is fit and scoring goals. The Togo striker had recently left a domestic match due to an injury concern, but it appears that he has fully recovered now.

Juventus, on the other hand, is facing concerns regarding the injury status of half of their central midfield duo. Manuel Locatelli sustained an ankle injury during recent international duty. Igor Tudor remains hopeful that Locatelli will be fit in time, while former Aston Villa player Douglas Luiz will also be available for the competition. Additionally, Teun Koopmeiners has returned to training and has made the traveling squad for the Club World Cup.

BEST BET: Juventus to Win 2-0 (+100)

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Joseph Beguiristain

Joseph Beguiristain is a South Florida native with 10-plus years of sports media experience. Before joining VegasInsider in July 2021, he wrote for the Sun-Sentinel and Miami Heat. More from Joseph Beguiristain