Chelsea v Juventus: Italian champions can run Blues close

Kwadwo Asamoah - an anytime goalscorer bet for Dave Farrar
Juventus are under-rated, says Dave Farrar, who thinks the visitors are well capable of denying the reigning European champions as the Blues begin another Champions League campaign
The European Champions (still sounds weird, doesn't it?) start the defence of their title against a club which is delighted to simply be back in the Champions League. It's been a long road back to the top for Juventus, and the Conte/Carrera rotation policy in Serie A so far shows that Juve are serious about mounting a proper European challenge. There were rumours this week that Juve would play a weakened side at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, but I don't believe that for a second. They took a risk with team selection on Sunday against Genoa, and that was all geared towards being at their best in London.
The Blues' home record in this competition has to be respected, but I think that Didier Drogba will be a big loss to them in European matches. His power is something that teams from, say, Italy, don't come up against every week, and Europe's best struggled to handle him throughout his career, all the way until the last two minutes of last season's final.
Chelsea's attacking threat now comes from an unconvincing Fernando Torres, and a series of stylish midfielders, spearheaded by Eden Hazard. These, though, are the kind of attacking threats that Italian defenders have to deal with every week, and I'm confident that Chiellini, Barzagli and Bonucci, while far from perfect, will be able to repel Chelsea.
The match will be won and lost in midfield, and I like Juve. Their three of Arturo Vidal, Claudio Marchisio and Andrea Pirlo is ably supported from the flanks by Stephan Lichtsteiner and Kwadwo Asamoah, and they are a powerful well drilled unit. Too powerful possibly for Frank Lampard, John Obi Mikel and co. I could see Juve outplaying Chelsea in those areas and then the result will come down to whether they can find a way past Petr Cech. There has to be a doubt about the front two of Giovinco and Vucinic, and it's more likely that a goal threat will come from wide, with Lichtsteiner, and particularly Asamoah, providing a real goal threat.
Gary Neville coined the phrase "underlapping" to describe the runs of Leighton Baines, and Asamoah is also an excellent underlapper. He will cut inside and test the relationship between David Luiz and Branislav Ivanovic and is worth chancing in the "To Score" market at around the 13.012/1 mark. He scored at the weekend against Genoa, and that was his second of the season so far, after his strike in the Super Cup final.
Chelsea are too short for the win at 2.226/5. I'm not sure that anyone realises quite how good Juve are, and the extent to which the Italians are capable of mounting a Champions League challenge at 20.019/1. I fully expect both teams to qualify from this group, and am tempted to suggest that Juve can win at Stamford Bridge at 3.953/1, but their possible lack of goals, and indeed lack of motivation (a draw would, after all, be a good result for Juve) makes me think that the draw is the best option, with a possible lay of Chelsea thrown in to cover the win.
Under 2.5 Goals is the likeliest option if that's the kind of bet that you like, but I won't be taking a price as short as 1.774/5.
Recommended Bet
Chelsea v Juventus Draw @ 3.412/5
Kwadwo Asamoah To Score @ 13.012/1