Allegri wary of unbreached Sevilla

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri is anticipating a difficult Champions League encounter on Tuesday with a Sevilla side who are yet to concede a goal in this season’s competition.

The teams drew 0-0 in September’s Group H opener in Turin and are both well placed to progress, although top spot remains up for the grabs.

It is the second campaign running they have been drawn in the same group and Sevilla won the corresponding fixture in December last year, leaving Allegri – who will be without Gonzalo Higuain (thigh) and Medhi Benatia (knee) – wary ahead of a return to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

“The only result that guarantees our place in the last 16 is a win. I’m confident we can get a positive result,” he said on Monday.

“We must win one of our last two group matches to qualify. We want the job done tomorrow.

“We’re coming up against a side that is yet to concede in the Champions League and is dangerous on the break.

“We played very well here last season and conceded from one of few attempts on our goal.”

Barcelona are the only side to beat Jorge Sampaoli’s men at home in 2016-17, but Serie A champions Juve are seven points clear in the top flight and their only losses this term have come at San Siro, to Inter and AC Milan.

Forward Moise Kean became the first person born this century to feature in a Serie A match when he came off the bench in Saturday’s 3-0 win against Pescara, and Allegri hinted the 16-year-old may get another chance in midweek.

“Higuain took a knock to the thigh and it would have been an unnecessary risk bringing him with us,” he said. “Stefano Sturaro, Alex Sandro and Kean all have the quality to step up into one of the forward positions.”