Champions League Round of 16: Week Two Preview

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Courtesy of the official Facebook page of Borussia Dortmund

Juventus (Serie A) v. Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga)

Where: Juventus Stadium in Turin, Italy

When: Tuesday, February 24 2:45pm Eastern, Fox Sports 2

Overview: Juventus have not won the Champions League title since 1996. Their opponents, Borussia Dortmund, won their last title when Juventus were the holders in 1997. Dortmund have been a mainstay in the knockout stages the past few seasons while The Old Lady returns after a disappointing Group Stage last campaign.

Borussia Dortmund have shockingly been near the bottom of the Bundesliga table all season. Just two seasons removed from a Champions League final, the Black and Yellows have consistently been apologizing to home fans for their hapless performances. Lately, though, Dortmund are in fine form as they have strung three wins in a row to push up to 12th in the Bundesliga table, only 10 points off a Champions League spot. While the three wins were against fellow bottom feeders Freiburg, Mainz, and Stuttgart, confidence is key for the talented side. It is important to also recognize that Dortmund’s European form did not suffer; they won a group featuring Arsenal, Anderlecht, and Galatasaray while scoring 14 times. Look for this side to put their “gegenpressing” into effect, where they press the opposition immediately after losing possession to win the ball back and restart the attack.

Juventus are 9 points clear of second in the Serie A table and look poised to win their 4th domestic title in a row. Now their focus can shift to Champions League, where it has been quite a while since Juventus have been successful. There is no question that the talent is there to make a run this season. In the midfield, Arturo Vidal has a never-ending motor and is arguably the world’s best box-to-box midfielder. Aside him is Andrea Pirlo, whose genius on the ball can pick a deadly pass out from afar. He is also capable of the wonder strike from distance as was displayed this past weekend. Juventus manager Max Allegri is expected to employ an aggressive strategy for the home leg to take a lead into Dortmund.

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Players to Watch: With the form Dortmund have been in, we’re going to buck the trend and pick a couple dangerous players. Marco Reus and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are in red hot form. The former is back from a few stints on the trainer’s table, while the latter is banging in goals as had been expected of him all season. The two have either scored or assisted in 30 of Dortmund’s 42 goals on the season. Aubameyang has incredible pace and is clinical in front of goal and Reus is a world-class attacking midfielder that can make life a nightmare for opponents.

Juventus, for some reason, have seen their finishing in front of the net suffer in big matches. It is of the utmost importance Carlos Tévez is on the mark in this match. The talisman has 14 goals for The Old Lady this season, and it is essential that he, along with the other strikers, show composure in front of the net. A goal or two would ease the burden heading into Germany for the second leg.

Prediction: Juventus 1, Borussia Dortmund 1. The German outfit will be thrilled going home with a draw. They may even be fine going home down a goal as long as they score the all important away goal.

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