BORUSSIA DORTMUND
vs
JUVENTUS
Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund
Wednesday 18th March, 2015, 19:45 GMT
***
Borussia Dortmund welcome Juventus to the Westfalenstadion on Wednesday knowing that a 1-0 victory over Massimiliano Allegri’s men would be enough to see them through to the quarter-final stages of the Champions League. Juve hold a slight advantage in the two-legged encounter following a slender 2-1 victory at home to Jurgen Klopp and his charges back in late February. The Italian side know that any form of draw would give them safe passage, with an away goal making it a little more difficult for the German club. Dortmund have enjoyed an important resurgence in 2015 and have managed to lift themselves from probable relegation to a safely-placed position in the middle of the German top flight. The Germans have slightly faltered on the domestic front in their last two Bundesliga games, with Dortmund drawing blanks in two scoreless draws against Hamburger SV and FC Koln respectively. Juventus are currently cruising at the summit of the Serie A standings, with a monumental 14-point gap separating the Old Lady and second-placed Roma. The Italian outfit find themselves in fairly good form, having won their last two Serie A matches by one goal against Palermo and Sassuolo. Dortmund may not be too put off by the task in hand come Wednesday, given that Juve have only managed to notch wins by a one-goal margin over the course of their last six matches. What could appeal to Klopp even more is the fact that Allegri’s men have conceded at least one goal in four of those last six fixtures, meaning that if Dortmund can defend well enough then progression will be no impossible task. Dortmund have also kept four clean sheets in six matches across all competitions.
Team news and tactical brief
Dortmund
Dortmund are expected to be missing both Kevin Grosskreutz and Lukasz Piszczek through injury, potentially leaving Oliver Kirch and Sokratis Papastathopoulos to battle it out for a place in the right full-back position.
Nuri Sahin was also missing for the German club at the weekend and he could miss out again on Wednesday. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could start up top instead of Ciro Immobile, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Shinji Kagawa and Kevin Kampl providing options in midfield.
Probable Starting Line-up (4-2-3-1):Weidendeller(Gk); Kirch, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer; Bender, Gundogan; Mkhitaryan, Kampl, Reus; Aubameyang
Juventus
Gianluigi Buffon will start in goal while Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini start at centerback. Andrea Barzagli will start as well if there is a 3-5-2 module. Out wide the starters will surely be Patrice Evra and Stephan Lichtsteiner on their respective sides. Lichtsteiner had a fine performance last time versus Dortmund, while Evra is one of the most experience Champions League player on the squad.
Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba are sure to start, Claudio Marchisio is probably the most likely after those two. Pogba of course was suspended versus Palermo, so he will be well rested for this game.Carlos Tevez and Alvaro Morata should be the starters up front. The duo were phenomenal versus Dortmund last time, and Morata scored a beautiful goal versus Palermo that proved to be the game winner.
Probable Starting Line-up (3-5-2):Buffon(Gk);Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Marchisio, Pogba, Evra; Tevez, Morata
Key Facts
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After having won their first four Champions League games this season, Borussia Dortmund are now winless in their last three (D1 L2).
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The last time Juventus faced Borussia Dortmund in Germany was in the 1997 Champions League final at Municha s Olympiastadion. The Turin side lost 3-1.
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Dortmund have never kept a clean sheet against Juventus in their eight competitive encounters.
Players to Watch Out For
Marco Reus (Dortmund)
Reus has primarily played from the left this season. Hea s a direct runner with over three successful take-ons per game this season and the same number of chances created for his team-mates. Hea s very quick and dangerous on the ball. He is also a very good defensive winger, winning eight tackles in six games and also making three defensive actions per game. He scored the vital away goal in the first leg which might be decisive in this tie.
Carlos Tevez (Juventus)
Juventus with Carlos Tevez and Juventus without Carlos Tevez are two different teams. His energy and willingness to close opposing defenders down begins the press; he is both an inspiration, his example leading others to greater effort. Once Tevez goes, the rest follow. Traditionalists wanted him, as a forward, to spend more time in the box. But it is precisely that willingness to come deep or pull wide that makes him such an asset to Juventus. His movement prevents the team breaking up, providing a link with the midfield, and as he drops deep, so he can interact with Vidal or Pogba. Tevez’s movement also encourages those around him to move. Tevez adds something extra, linking the two parts of the team, and making the whole more fluent. He scores goals, but more important is that he lubricates the whole mechanism.
Prediction
Dortmund 2a 2 Juventus
This game is very much in the balance due to Borussia Dortmund’s away goal, with a 1-0 win enough to see the German’s progress, and this may well be a low scoring game with neither side firing on all cylinders of late. The hosts have assured things up at the back recently so they will be confident that they can keep a clean sheet but breaking down a resolute Juventus defence is easier said than done. In a game that really is too close to call Juventus would settle for a draw and may well play that way in Dortmund.
Blast From the Past
Juventus and Borussia Dortmund locked horns in the 1995 UEFA Cup at the semi final stage. The Bianconeri ran out 2-1 winners in the second leg at Westfalenstadion thanks to a stunning free kick from Captain Roberto Baggio.