Tactical analysis of Champions League quarterfinals games

This year’s UEFA Champions League quarterfinals have been drawn with top favorites set to lock horns with other intriguing and exciting games to see when actions resume in April 11 and 12 respectively.

The 2013-14 final was the first in the tournament’s history to feature teams from the same city. The same clubs faced each other in the 2016 final. In 2000, two Spanish teams battled in the final, though they were from different cities.

Here, we take a tactical analysis of each fixtures and probable outcomes from the fixtures.

Barcelona vs. Juventus

The Champions League quarterfinal tie between Barcelona and Juventus is a marquee one, but one that looks a bit less likely to be a controlled tactical battle than in past years. Juventus style has changed a bit with Gonzalo Higuain entering, while some of their key defenders battle the injuries that come with aging. Meanwhile, Barcelona defeated Paris Saint-Germain in an 11-goal thriller.

This is a repeat of the 2015 Champions League final, when Barcelona triumphed 3-1 following a tight and tense game. A two-legged tie might suit Juventus, however, Massimiliano Allegri has proved an astute tactician over the past couple of seasons and his tactical prowess might be tested when his side battle Barcelona.

Juventus key player to watch: Leonardo Bonucci

With Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli regularly struggling for fitness, Leonard Bonucci role has become even more important this season. He’s been the key to Juventus defense for years, he was the best defender at Euro 2016, and he’s carried that form into this season. If anyone’s capable of frustrating Barcelona’s front three, it’s him.

Barcelona key player to watch: Neymar

Lionel Messi seems to have settled into a consistently great, but not mind-blowing portion of his career. He’s still the best attacker on earth, but he doesn’t have the same kind of unprecedented bursts of dominance as he did when he was younger. One of his partners, Luis Suarez, is a consistent scorer. The wild cat is Neymar, who has gone missing for three or four games at a time, then turned up with legendary performances where he does things that Messi and Suarez would struggle to match on their best day.

Prediction

Is a difficult tie to pick, given that Barcelona season has been a bit of a roller coaster?

Bourssia Dortmund vs. Monaco

Borussia Dortmund and Monaco are two of Europe’s most watchable sides, so their Champions League quarterfinal tie should provide ample entertainment.

Coach Thomas Tuchel and Leonardo Jardim prefers playing attacking football over defensive play and parades some of the world’s top young talents at their disposal. The encounter is likely to witness massive goal feast.

Leonardo Jardim’s Monaco side were the tournament’s most underrated side coming into the knockout stage, but their victory over Premier league side Manchester City, albeit on away goals, underlined their tremendous potential. The dynamism of Fabinho, a converted right-back excelling in central midfield, is particularly impressive while the left-back Benjamin Mendy has emerged as one of the best in Europe. Their ability to play high-energy football in a 4-4-2 system is also noteworthy.

Dortmund key player to watch: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

At 27, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is one of Dortmund’s most experienced legs. The Gabonese forward has been in lethal goalscoring form so far this season, averaging a goal every game in both the Bundesliga and Champions League. His blistering pace ensures that he’s capable of turning a game in an instant, and Dortmund will be relying on him to take his chances against a capable Monaco.

Monaco Key player: Fabinho

Brazilian youngster Fabinho started out as a full-back, though it didn’t take Jardim to realise his potential as a central midfielder. Over the last couple of seasons, he has established himself as an effective box-to-box player and has gone on to pick up four international caps since his debut in 2015. Expect to see him be plundered by one of Europe’s giants in the near future.

Prediction

This game really could go either way; there is certainly is no clear favourite.

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid

At least one of the Champions League’s big favourites will be going out in the quarterfinals, with Bayern Munich having been drawn against Real Madrid in a mouth-watering tie. This is master versus student: Carlo Ancelotti against Zinedine Zidane. It will see incumbent Bayern boss Carlo Ancelotti return to his old stomping ground, looking to show the Los Merengues what they’re missing. The last time these sides met, three years ago, Bayern manager Ancelotti was in charge of Real, with Zidane his assistant, and they guided Real to a storming 5 – 0 aggregate victory. Now, Ancelotti is charged with getting the better of his former charges – where Zidane has essentially continued with Ancelotti’s legacy.

Bayern key player to watch: Robert Lewandowski

Only Lionel Messi and Edinson Cavani have hit the net more often in the Champions League this season than Robert Lewandowski, with the Polish international continuing to deliver consistently world-class performances at the top of Bayern’s attack. He’s going to be Madrid’s chief antagonist in this tie and will be hoping to further extend his run of goal scoring form.

Madrid Key player to watch: Sergio Ramos

Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos may go down in history as the greatest defender of his generation. It is rare that a centre-back has the ability to single-handedly bend the game to his will, though Ramos has a goalscoring knack to match his dominant defensive displays. Don’t be surprised if he manages to keep Lewandowski quiet and decide the tie with a towering header. Perhaps even more so than Cristiano Ronaldo, Ramos is Madrid’s talisman.

Prediction

It’s never wise to bet against Real Madrid in European competition, but recent form suggests Bayern have a slight edge.

 Atletico Madrid vs. Leicester City 

When fairytales collide! Over the last few seasons under Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid have been the darlings of Europe, disrupting the Barcelona-Real Madrid duopoly in Spain and reaching two of the last four Champions League finals. But all that looks a little pedestrian next to Leicester City, who became the least likely English champions of all time last season, and are now well out into the unknown.

Atletico key player to watch: Antoine Griezmann

The greatest compliment modern football can pay to a player is to shower them with transfer rumours, and Antoine Griezmann is soaked. But whatever his future holds, he’s still scoring for Atletico: he has netted 22 goals for the season across all competitions. He is a fascinating footballer of prodigious talents, equally capable of lashing the ball into the net from thirty yards out and arriving unnoticed at the far post to poke home. It will be interesting to see what Wes Morgan and Robert Huth make of him.

Leicester key player to watch: Jamie Vardy

Vardy may not be the best striker in the world, but he just might be the most annoying. He runs, he hassles, falls to the floor under the slightest of touches. And he scores; too, when he’s in the mood, he gets the job done.

Prediction: Atletico likely to progress to the semifinals.

 

Anthony Nlebem & Akobi Ugochukwu