Bayern Munich vs Juventus: UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals

And then there were eight. 8 of Europe's best clubs have booked themselves a date with each other in the Quarterfinals of this year's UEFA Champions League. On the road to Wembley, we have arrived at the last 8 stage and the first pairing of matches tonight sees Barcelona pay a visit to the 'nouveau riche' Paris Saint Germain (PSG) while in the other game, two of Europe's historic clubs lock horns when Juventus make the journey to the Allianz Arena in Munich to take on Bavarian giants Bayern Munich.

If Real Madrid-Man Utd was the tie of the previous round, it's Bayern-Juve which is the pick of the Quarterfinals. This is a tricky one. Bayern will come into the game as favorites by virtue of being the most solid team in this year's competition and having finished Runners-Up last year. They have been ruthless all season qualifying top from a somewhat weak group with only Spanish side Valencia offering any competition. Then, they went to Arsenal and put in a performance so complete that it effectively killed the tie after the 1st leg. The pundits brought out all the superlatives in the book to describe that performance and while it was definitely impressive, they were aided in their efforts by a very average Arsenal team. The Gunners showed some better fight in the 2nd leg and actually managed to ruffle a few German feathers as they were a goal away from knocking Bayern out of the competition. Over the weekend, they hammered the living daylights out of Hamburg with a 9-2 demolition and are certain to win the Bundesliga at a canter. Looking at all of this, the home game against Arsenal is clearly an aberration.

But, what that game did expose is some traditional failings. Once frustrated and when the opponent does manage to get under their skins a bit, they do tend to panic a bit. True, they were missing some key personnel through injury but Jupp Heynckes would have definitely been disconcerted with that showing.

And here's where Antonio Conte and his Juventus side come into the picture. The team from Turin are a compact unit and a very efficient one. They do have some issues in the striking department, but their central midfield and defence is amongst the best in business. They knocked last year's winners Chelsea out at the group stage and along with Borussia Dortmund are one of two teams in the competition to remain unbeaten so far. Yes, they played Celtic in the first knockout phase, not exactly top opposition, but they battled Chelsea and Shakhtar Donetsk in their group and emerged unscathed. Where they can hurt Bayern is in the midfield area, a key reason for their dominance this season.

The Germans' midfield machine has Bastian Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez in the engine room with Toni Kroos, Franck Ribery and Thomas Mueller roaming ahead making for a dangerous combination. But, the 'Bianconeri' have the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio in their ranks, two classy midfielders who have been playing together for a long time now for club and country. Add the doggedness and grit of Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba and you have a quartet that can unhinge any side. Juve also boast a watertight defence and where the trio of Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli have been simply superb along with the reassuring presence of Gianluigi Buffon in goal, easily the best goalkeeper around of the remaining teams.

The tie will see the clash of two of the best mid-fields in Europe and if Juve can win that battle, they could just upstage the might of Munich. It's also the best attack in the competition going up against the best defence. Bayern with 18 goals have been the most potent side in front of goal tied with Real Madrid while Juventus hold the meanest defence having conceded just 4 goals in their 8 games.

TEAM NEWS
Mario Gomez's availability remains a doubt and his inclusion will be subject to a late fitness test. There are no other injury worries for Heynckes and David Alaba will return to the team after being rested over the weekend.

Alessandro Matri and Fabio Quagliarella could start up front for Juve if Serbian Mirko Vucinic misses out as he has been struggling with a flu and missed the game against Inter at the weekend. Giorgio Chiellini is back from injury and will go straight into their defensive set up.

MATCH FACTS

• The two teams have met six times in the past, always in the Champions League. The  Bavarians have won two whilst Juventus have won three with only one game ending in a draw.
• Bayern Munich have won 16 of their last 19 Champions League games played at the Allianz Arena.
• Bayern have conceded the fewest shots on target in the Champions League this season (22).
• Juventus haven’t conceded a goal in their last five games in the Champions League, the longest run in the competition this season. Arsenal hold the record with 10 consecutive clean sheets in 2005/06.
• Juventus have lost seven of their last eight away games in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
• Juventus have only failed to score once in fifteen Champions League games against German opposition (v Bayern Munich in September 2009).
• Bayern Munich have had 10 different goalscorers in the Champions League this season, more than any other side.
• Claudio Marchisio has been directly involved in four of Juventus’ seven goals away from home in the Champions League this season, scoring once and delivering three assists.

UEFA Champions League: What we learnt from this week's action

 The first set of Round of 16 clashes in the UEFA Champions League was completed this week. Four teams have progressed into the next round – Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, and PSG. The match at Old Trafford which saw Real overcome Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United was by far the talking point of many a discussion this week, but the other teams in working their way into the quarterfinals will receive their fair share of the spotlight in the coming rounds. Amongst the many plots and subplots that panned out, here are a few takeaways that emerged from the clashes this week.

Manchester United – Real Madrid

Sir Alex got his tactics spot on for the game and his side had much the better of Madrid until the sending off. Ferguson having got burnt with a more attacking approach the last two times he’s encountered the Spanish giants, played his cards to perfection. The move was a reflection of his increased tactical nous in Europe, something which he has been often criticized for. The fact that United have only won 2 Champions League titles for all of their domestic dominance continues to be a cause for much heartburn for Fergie during his 26 year reign at United. 

The game also brought to light the increased maturity in some of United’s younger players such as Rafael and Danny Welbeck. Rafael was only a few years back dismissed as a headless chicken and someone who was considered a liability for Sir Alex. This is no longer true as the Brazilian has come of age and is now looking solid both domestically as well as in Europe.

Danny Welbeck, for me, was THE outstanding player for United across the two legs. His electric pace coupled with physical strength and running bodes well for the Manchester club and he offers something different in the four pronged forward line of United’s. Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane needed to be at their very best to contain the young forward. He does need to improve his finishing though, but this tie has shown that the true blue Manchester lad can mix it with the best in Europe.

Cristiano Ronaldo is currently the best player on the planet - make no mistake. He is single-handedly carried this Madrid team this season and the kind of consistency that he has brought into his game is incredible. He also possesses such an all-round game that he can pose a threat to opposing defenses in more than one way. Good in the air and off the ground, threat at set pieces and with electric pace and dribbling skills, Ronaldo, in my opinion, has just moved ahead of Lionel Messi in the pecking order.

Real coach Jose Mourinho possesses two things in wholesome quantities – European experience and championship winning good fortune. Both were at the fore this week, as he once again took advantage of a fortuitous decision and made the right substitutions that gave his side the advantage. 

Another quality of Mourinho that has helped in his drive to success is his objective ability to see his teams play bad even in defeat.  And Real will need to improve markedly if they are to go on and win the ‘Decima’. Twice United managed to slow them down by taking the pace out of the game and conceding possession daring Los Blancos to take the initiative. 

Jose Mourinho said after the game that ‘the best team lost’. Taken alongside pre-match comments showering praise on the Manchester club, it looks evident that Mourinho is keen on taking up the manager’s role at OT sometime in the near future.

Ryan Giggs’ display on Tuesday night went some way to showing why he has been offered a 1-year contract extension at the tender age of 39. The Welshman has put in terrific performances in the league as well and his 1,000th international bow was earned and not handed to him by Sir Alex.

And, as for Wayne Rooney, while being benched for arguably the biggest game of the season is a setback, it is by no means a sign that it is the beginning of the end for the English striker. However, what it offers is a peek into the change in status that he now carries at Old Trafford. 

Borussia Dortmund – Shakhtar Donetsk

Dortmund are one of the finest attacking teams in Europe. Under Juergen Klopp, they play an attractive brand of football that most opponents find difficult to cope with. But, one of the primary reasons for their below par League defence this season has been their unusually leaky defence. They have already conceded more goals this season than the previous two and it could be a weakness that gets exploited by stronger teams in the latter stages of the competition. But, they still look a good bet to make the semis of the competition.

In Mario Gotze, Marko Reus, Jakub ‘Kuba’ Blaszcyszkowski and Robert Lewandowski, they have one of the most potent attacking quartets around. And how effectively they click will go a long way in determining how Dortmund’s season shapes up in the latter stages.

Mat Hummels has to now start being considered amongst the best defenders in Europe. The German international is a brilliant reader of the game and is also a ball-playing defender who can initiate the offense from the back. Also, a rugged tackler of the football, he has kept his game up even as colleague Neven Subotic has struggled with injury and Brazilian Felipe Santana has been inconsistent.

PSG – Valencia

PSG’s progression really cannot be talked up much. Valencia are a struggling side with nowhere close to the finances that the Parisian club have access to. PSG’s performance was more efficient than destructive as they crafted their victory out. 

What they can boast of is some mercurial talent on their rolls in the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic along with Javier Pastore, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Lucas Moura and with the reassuring presence of Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, a man who has overseen successful European campaigns; they will be a tough team to beat.

Juventus – Celtic

The Italian champions effectively ended the tie with their clinical performance away in the first leg. They put up another efficient showing at home to achieve a 5-0 thrashing of a Celtic team that looked out of its depth in this stage of the contest. Juve have to be looked at as genuine contenders and as with all Italian teams, they started slowly, but have been building momentum as they've progressed.

Their defence and midfield match up with the best in the business and they also have veteran experience to call upon. Midfield maestro Andrea Pirlo is having another stellar season pulling the strings at the heart of the Juve midfield. With the industry of Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba, the Italians have a solid look about them and they are capable of grinding out results if necessary. They do lack a top draw striker though.

For Celtic, it has been a magnificent season regardless of their Round of 16 humbling. Theirs has been one of the stories of the year but the gulf in class between them and the big boys was apparent. Personnel, tactics and experience were the areas they were found wanting and with sound investment in those areas under the astute leadership of Neil Lennon there is no reason to believe we won’t be seeing more of them in coming seasons.

Juventus Punish Sloppy Celtic to take Strangle hold in Round of 16 tie

Juventus completed the perfect 'Italian Job' as they got the better of Celtic 3-0 in the 1st leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash at Celtic Park. Celtic manager Neil Lennon started with Gary Hooper up front with Kris Commons in tow while also starting Nigerian central defender Effy Ambrose who had just returned from the African Cup of Nations. Antonio Conte went with Martin Caceres in place of the suspended Giorgio Chiellini to partner Leonardo Bonucci & Andrea Barzagli in a back 3 while Alessandro Matri & Mirko Vucinic started up front. Celtic egged on by a boisterous home crowd made the early running playing a high-tempo game. Juventus were content on sitting back, soaking up the pressure and playing on the counter. They punished Celtic in the just the 3rd minute of the game, as Matri ran on to a high ball, outmuscling Ambrose to prod the ball towards goal. Kevin Wilson cleared the ball off the line, though replays showed it to have crossed over. The clearance fell to Claudio Marchisio who blasted Juve into the lead. Celtic kept up the pressure and had most of the ball, but lacked any real cutting edge to get past a rock solid Juventus defence. Kris Commons & Victor Wanyama were restricted to taking long shots which Buffon saved with ease. Juventus on the contrary, looked dangerous everytime they got on the ball with Andrea Pirlo directing traffic. He set Vucinic through on one occassion with a delightful through ball and the Montenegro forward rounded the keeper but his cross was cut out by the defender. Celtic's aerial balls into the box too didn't have much effect as the Juve back three of Barzagli, Bonucci & Caceres were equal to the task. The home side had 10 corners in the game to the visitors' 1, but could not capitalize as the Juve defence had a stellar game man marking each Celtic player and were first to every ball that came in. The game slowed down a bit in the 2nd half and on the hour mark, defender Ambrose had a chance to make up for his error with a free header at goal. His effort though was a weak one and it enabled Buffon to save with ease. Juventus then scored their 2nd in the 73rd minute when Lichtsteiner cut in from the left to feed Matri who found Marchisio with a first time pass with the outside of his right boot. Marchisio cut back on to his right foot to beat Scott Brown and unleashed a powerful shot to grab his & Juve's 2nd of the night. The tie was well and truly in the Italians' grasp and Mirko Vucinic added further insurance 6 minutes later when Ambrose, who had a night to forget, got caught in possession by Marchisio who stole the ball and played a beautiful through ball to Vucinic who hit a first time finish to make it 3-0. Juventus became only the 2nd team to beat Celtic on their home ground in European competition, Barcelona being the other.