The second leg matches in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals are upon us, and the teams involved know what they need to do to secure progression to the semi-final stage of the competition.
Barcelona are in a commanding position ahead of Tuesday night’s second leg against Paris Saint-Germain, as the French side travels to the Nou Camp with an assignment built around reversing a 3-1 defeat from the first leg, when they were on home soil.
The Catalans will feel confident that they can steer themselves into the semi-finals with home advantage in their favour, but PSG welcome back top striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic for the encounter, following his suspension in the first match, and he will give the Parisians an extra weapon in attack, as he will be looking to upset his former team and pull an almighty upset.
But the decisive first leg result, Barca’s ability to keep a great deal of possession in front of their own fans, and the danger they pose on the counter attack will certainly make life difficult for the visitors, who will be without star defender Thiago Silva and midfielder Thiago Motta.
In Tuesday’s other quarter-final match, German powerhouse Bayern Munich will need to be in fine form in order to attempt a cancellation of their first leg deficit at the hands of Portuguese club Porto, who surprised the Germans with a 3-1 victory in Portugal.
Algeria international Yacine Brahimi was part of Porto’s excellent victory, providing his usual solid performance in midfield before being substituted in the 80th minute after a good shift for the Portuguese side, and he will be a key player for his team if they are to return from Germany with a semi-final ticket.
The Germans are confident that home advantage will see them make amends for the disappointment of last week, and few would bet against German industry and determination, but there is still a great deal that will need to be done in order for the Germans to make an appearance in the last four of Europe’s top club competition.
The Madrid Derby between Real and Atletico at the Vicente Calderon last week ended goalless, setting up a very exciting second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night. Goalkeepers Iker Casillas of the Galacticos and Jan Oblak for Atleti were in fine form during the first leg, and their performances will be crucial to determining which side from the Spanish capital will grace the semi-finals.
Casillas surpassed Barcelona’s Xavi to become the competition’s highest capped player in his last encounter, reaching 147 games with the white half of Madrid, and he will stretch that record further in this repeat of the 2014 UEFA Champions League final.
Gareth Bale is out of this match with an injury, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent form indicates that he will be a danger for Atletico to contain, while a rivalry of this stature is always sure to produce excellent entertainment for fans and neutrals alike.
Juventus, Italy’s only remaining representative in the Champions League, defeated Monaco 1-0 at the Juventus Stadium in the first leg, giving the Bianconeri a slim lead to take to the France for Wednesday’s crunch encounter.
The slender lead will motivate the side from the principality to push on for victory in front of their home fans and surprise the Italians as they did to English side Arsenal in the previous round. Juve would be wise not to underestimate Monaco, and the Serie A champions will likely come out attacking in this second leg, falling back on their defensive discipline when needed to soak up pressure and use the counter attack to full affect.
Bianconeri star midfielder Arturo Vidal is a doubt for Wednesday’s second leg, as a bout of tonsillitis kept him from training on Monday.
