UCL QF : Juventus Vs Real Madrid

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All banter aside, this is going to be a very tough game. If they defend like they did against Spurs they are never beating us but I feel this is the tie where Dybala will finally announce himself on the big stage and Higgy getting his revenge on Perez. I don't know, they don't look as defensively solid as the last couple of season while the jury is still out on us, are we really back? Is Ronaldo really back? Are Carvajal/Marcelo/midfielders really back etc etc

I guess the silverlining is that BBC is no longer first choice, Bale off the bench can be very useful.

I think we should start Lucas Vasquez and Asensio/Isco and have Ronaldo play as the number 9. Jjuve aren't as shit as QSG, we are going to need all our players and can't have players missing 1v1s

I'm not convinced that "we're back", but our core players are very experienced in this competition, and I think it's very evident that they put substantially more effort into their performances in the Champions League - which is the only competition in which we're fighting to win this season.

These guys only care bout the UCL so I have no doubt they'll play to their best in Europe and Zidane only plans for the big European games anyway so it's gonna be alright.

Juventus will most likely come with their 3-3-3-1 formation. If they need a goal how ever they will swtich it to a kind of 4321.

Juventus on possession will look like something like this. Benzema and Ronaldo will have difficult time pressing since it is basically 4 vs 2 including buffon. How ever Juventus will have hard time creating chances other than from their right wing since most of their players are isolated apart from the middle three and will have to look for long ball forward to the forward and subsequent attack from there. We saw it with Spurs. Juve looked toothless with the ball.




Isco will have to press higher to get the ball but this will leave real out numbered in midfield and they will have advantage for the second ball even if juventus are playing long ball forward.




Now real on possession will look something like this. Carvajal will be isolated on the right and will have the most number of passes received. Isco-Marcelo and Ronaldo will have to work out something on the left to create chances. The other option is Carvajal crossing to Ronaldo/Benzema.





Now if Juventus decide to go offensive mode then they might switch to something of a 4321. This is while a bit difficult for Madrid to defend opens up space for Ronaldo to counter attack. Juventus could get destroyed if Zidane brings Bale along side Ronaldo. Juventus defenders will not be able to cope up with the pace.

I definitely think our core players are back. All of them are playing like they did last season. Just the attack and Isco minus Ronaldo that's still struggling but as long as he keeps scoring we'll be alright. We've never relied on them for goals anyways.

I think our corner defending has gotten alot worse and we are going to have to be 10/10 in every department to reach the semis

The Demon of Carthage wrote:

Thimmy wrote:I'm not convinced that "we're back", but our core players are very experienced in this competition, and I think it's very evident that they put substantially more effort into their performances in the Champions League - which is the only competition in which we're fighting to win this season.

I don't think "we're back" too, but I also disagree with you about the experience argument. To me, experience doesn't mean anything and rarely ever does it play a decisive factor.

I always bring up the Dortmund example because it's just perfect to further illustrate my point. After many years without CL football, Dortmund finally returned to the fold with Klopp:

2012: Straight elimination from the group stage.
2013: Champions league final.

They knocked out Madrid even though their experience pales in comparison to the then 9-time European Champion, who at that time had already reached the semi-final twice in a row with Mourinho.

The only thing that matters is "the now". It doesn't matter if your opponent is the most experienced club in the world, if you're better, you're better.

Naturally, experience doesn't necessarily trump talent, but if there's one thing I've observed from the regular top sides in the Champions League over the past decade, it's that they don't capitulate as soon as it looks like things aren't going their way. Clubs with younger and less experienced players on their team tend to take a hit to their morale once it looks like the advantage is on the other side of of the pitch, almost as if it's instinctive. Atletico Madrid have done it, PSG certainly do it on a regular basis - even in Ligue 1, and I expect Man City to do the same thing if we manage to get a healthy lead on them. It's a farfetched thought, but I believe this reaction may be because most of these younger, more inexperienced talents just aren't wired to fight against the odds. Experience might not be the right word for it, I just don't think our players have the typical habit of yielding to unfavorable odds in the Champions League. We definitely used to, when we seemed to get kicked out by Lyon every year, but this is an almost entirely different squad with a different mentality - a winner's mentality.

Our players have proven countless times in this competition that they won't budge, even if it looks like they're about to lose. It's a mentality that won't guarantee us any success, but I definitely think it's an advantage we have over several of the other teams that have younger and more emotionally fragile squads, and I think our players are aware of this. Even some of the more higher rated players that are inexperienced with success in the CL, have a tendency to give up, once it looks like there's no coming back. Our never say die attitude on the big occasions have been our greatest weapon in the Champions League, in recent time. It's perhaps an undervalued trait we have, but I'd argue it's been very decisive in the past.

Not worried because we molest them in the midfield, CR is rounding into form, and our regular defense/keeper is healthy.

Expect a relatively easy go of it actually.  Juve is the same, just older.  And Allegri doesn't adjust...  not that it would matter because they don't have the players that can adjust. As long as CR does his thing so they can't park the bus, we're fine.

I've said this...  oh since the goal.com days.  Midfield wins games.  And we own that against Juve.

And considering the first leg they would be missing Pjanic (their only creative midfielder) for the 1st leg, Madrid would have literally no excuse to not control the midfield. Like none.

Pjanic is a serious threat from set pieces, as well. Good thing he's out for the first leg. I can't think of a more prolific freekick taker who's still active.

Yes, Messi's freekick goals in recent months do not change my opinion.

Thimmy wrote:Pjanic is a serious threat from set pieces, as well. Good thing he's out for the first leg. I can't think of a more prolific freekick taker who's still active.

Yes, Messi's freekick goals in recent months do not change my opinion.

*cough* Dybala *cough*

Panic, like Higuain, is more likely than not to do really poorly when the lights are on the brightest. Relies on the fact that He's technically superior to his opponent... and has no idea what to do when that's challenged.

Again, not worried. Defense is where they have the real warriors. But we tore them apart last year and, although I don't find it likely we do that again, I also don't see a new challenge or improvement by Juve. Quite the contrary.

StrugaRock wrote:

Thimmy wrote:Pjanic is a serious threat from set pieces, as well. Good thing he's out for the first leg. I can't think of a more prolific freekick taker who's still active.

Yes, Messi's freekick goals in recent months do not change my opinion.

*cough* Dybala *cough*

Pjanic has the longevity to back up his merit If I'm not mistaken, he's scored against us for both Lyon and PSG. The guy has been a nightmare for us in the past

Pjanic, to me, has always seem to shrink whenever the big occasion arises, mostly in Europe though (if not only there). But despite that, he is a very talented midfield who Jjuve would really miss in the 1st leg. We gotta capitalise on it.

They'll also be missing Benetia as well in the 1st leg.

Our lineup vs Girona definitely tells me he is planning on playing the same team vs Juventus as he fielded vs PSG except with Toni and Modric imo.

Thimmy wrote:

StrugaRock wrote:

Thimmy wrote:Pjanic is a serious threat from set pieces, as well. Good thing he's out for the first leg. I can't think of a more prolific freekick taker who's still active.

Yes, Messi's freekick goals in recent months do not change my opinion.

*cough* Dybala *cough*

Pjanic has the longevity to back up his merit If I'm not mistaken, he's scored against us for both Lyon and PSG. The guy has been a nightmare for us in the past

Well I guess the commentator screaming "PJAAANIIIICC" from the top of his lungs in 2010 still rings in my ears.....

Gonna have to start both Bale and Casemiro for defensive set piece reasons.

Dont think Bale will start. He didnt start both home and away against QSG and zZ seems to have abandoned 433 in favour of 442/4312

matuidi and khedira midfield duo

we could back to our shittiest form 3 month ago and still got this.

@futbol_bill, i'm not sure i want to use the psg game as a yardstick, they played extremely open with massive amounts of confidence and a very care free approach, which works in our favor, and may not have worked in our favor if psg capitalized on some near miss chances in the first leg. juve won't play that way, and considering its a two legged tie, they'll pick their battle carefully unlike the final

any win away from home is definitely welcome, that way we don't get forced to test our skills at home and have everyone forgetting their defensive responsibilities/having ramos deciding to become a nos 9 all of a sudden and marcelo a nos 11

The game is more or less upon us now. Only 3 days to go

All but 1 position are set in stone and that is the 4th player in midfield. Will it be Bale or Lucas or Isco Disco. I can't remember the last big game ZZ started the BBC, oh wait the Clasico when we got run over in our own backyard, yh safe to say we won't see the BBC again for a while. I'd like Lucas to play, don't mind Isco Disco if he plays like he did earlier in the season but I don't want Asensio, he goes missing far too much. He can play against those butchers next Sunday