Champions League 2015: Latest Match Odds, Key Players for Round-of-16 Ties
The second week of Champions League round-of-16 fixtures promises to be special.
On Tuesday, Manchester City host Barcelona in a repeated fixture from this stage last season, while Juventus and Borussia Dortmund go toe-to-toe in Turin. The night after, Arsenal return to action against Monaco, and last year's finalists Atletico Madrid head to Germany for an encounter with Bayer Leverkusen.
Here, we take a look at the early match odds on offer, prior to deciphering which players will be vital to success:
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| Manchester City vs. Barcelona | 13-5 | 27-10 | 23-20 |
| Juventus vs. Borussia Dortmund | 11-10 | 49-20 | 29-10 |
| Arsenal vs. Monaco | 4-7 | 3-1 | 13-2 |
| Bayer Leverkusen vs. Atletico Madrid | 2-1 | 23-10 | 8-5 |
Key Players in Week 2 Ties
Yaya Toure, Manchester City
While you may have heard of a certain Lionel Messi who can be a key player whenever he steps onto the pitch for Barcelona, Manchester City's chances of stopping him are based around the performance of Yaya Toure.
After February's disappointing draw with Hull and prior to the much-needed win over Stoke in the Premier League, WhoScored.com (h/t ESPN FC) highlighted just how badly Manuel Pellegrini's side missed the Ivorian powerhouse:
Yaya struggled for form during the early part of the season, but he provides City with a balance no other midfielder can replicate. His sheer presence is often enough to boss the centre. He'll need an attacking license against the Blaugrana—Yaya is most lethal when driving the team forward—but his ability to also sit in front of City's defence should plug the central areas Messi loves to drop into.
Marco Reus, Borussia Dortmund
It's no coincidence that Dortmund's results have picked up since Marco Reus' return from injury. He has scored two and assisted one in the three Bundesliga matches played since the turn of February, per WhoScored.com, and completely transforms how BVB can set up.
Reus' terrific passing quality was highlighted in the win over Mainz, per Squawka Football:
Juventus possess one of football's meanest midfield selections with Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba patrolling the centre. It's vital Jurgen Klopp's visitors quickly spread the ball wide and look for the counter against a team who have conceded three goals in their last two Serie A matches, a rare occurrence for the Old Lady.
Dortmund can use Reus' pace as an outlet toward escaping pressure. He may need to hold the ball up or quickly look to release, but the German's willingness to break beyond the defensive line should stretch the away side's play enough to drag that central-midfield pair apart.
Olivier Giroud, Arsenal
Yes, yes, Alexis Sanchez's industry and goalscoring prowess will be key to Arsenal's longevity in the competition. The improving form of striker Olivier Giroud—the man who should frequent Monaco's box when Sanchez gets on the ball—can push Arsenal beyond their tricky French opponents, however.
Giroud showed exactly what he's all about during his recent two-goal performance against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup. Arsene Wenger doesn't possess many finishers who primarily operate in the box, so Arsenal's play is given another dimension when the former Montpellier forward doesn't get dragged wide.
"Giroud is today a different player to the guy that arrived here," said Wenger, per John Ashdown of The Guardian. "He understands what top level football demands—he works with a great concentration in training and he has improved in his mobility tremendously and his technical quality. And of course his body is very strong and he uses it very well."
Sanchez's running and general all-round quality has the capacity to squeeze Monaco out of possession, but an in-form Giroud's clinical quality ensures Arsenal don't have to rely on one player for goals. With Ligue 1 opposition in town, he'll be keen to impress.
Bleacher Report UK's Alex Dimond recently looked at other stars who will be eager to make a positive impression at this stage of the competition:
Antoine Griezmann, Atletico Madrid
The ever-improving Antoine Griezmann has netted two Champions League goals this season, despite playing just 185 minutes across five appearances, per WhoScored.com. He is a man whose stock has risen considerably since the final round of group fixtures. In fact, he's scored nine and assisted three in 15 matches across all competitions since last hearing the famous music blurt out.
WhoScored.com highlighted the Frenchman's turn of form:
Week-by-week Griezmann seems to be improving his game. Diego Simeone has the 23-year-old working harder than ever to cover the pitch, close players down and make a difference in more than just wide areas. His forays through the middle are proving to be devastating and could catch Bayer Leverkusen's central defenders out.
Picking Griezmann up is a task in itself. He is proving more elusive as the weeks go on and should find gaps to feed off Mario Mandzukic's hold-up play. With an improving sight for goal and increased confidence, he should be ranked among the most devastating players left in the tournament.
