5 Key Issues That Will Shape Champions League Quarter-Finals
UEFA Champions League football is graciously returning to our collective consciousness and television screens.
Italian champions Juventus play Monaco on Tuesday, while current Spanish champions Atletico Madrid are tied with holders—and cross-town rivals—Real Madrid. Wednesday sees German contender Bayern Munich take on Porto and French superpower Paris Saint-Germain host the vaunted Barcelona.
Complete with derbies and talented underdogs, the quarter-finals should provide interesting—if not fantastic—spectacles on nearly every occasion. What should we be looking out for?
Here are five pressing questions ahead of the 2014/15 Champions League quarter-finals.
Will Bayern Munich's Injury 'Crisis' Hurt Them vs. Porto?
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Pep Guardiola enjoys one of the best and deepest squads in European football, but the Bayern Munich boss is struggling with injures at the moment.
Bastian Schweinsteiger, David Alaba, Javi Martinez, Medhi Benatia, Philipp Lahm, Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben have all been injured to various degrees over the past fortnight. With mid-week duty to perform vs. Porto, Guardiola balancing fitness and minutes for his troops is paramount.
Despite avoiding one of the other major contenders, the Bavarians must appreciate their Portuguese opposition. Missing any number of world-class players applies pressure to other members and areas in the squad.
Luckily for the Germans, however, their squad is packed.
How Does Real's Attack Cope with Atletico's Stalwart Defence?
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Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have played six times this season, and Real have yet to win (no wins, two draws and four losses). This year's trend is contingent on two factors.
The first culprit is familiarity. Often pitted against each other (11 meetings in the past two seasons), the splendour many associate with Los Blancos simply does not exist in their own backyard.
The second factor is Real Madrid's attacking talent being starved by Diego Simeone's tactics.
Making life uneasy for Real's midfield—and in turn their forwards—Atleti have kept Real at arm's length in 2014/15. If Simeone can rinse and repeat his game plan, Carlo Ancelotti's men jumping this particular hurdle becomes an arduous challenge.
Can Barcelona's Domestic Form Translate vs. Paris-Saint Germain?
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Remember the "crisis" Barcelona had to begin the 2015 calendar year?
Thought not.
Since their loss to Real Sociedad on 4 January, Barca have won 20 of 22 fixtures in Spain, finding themselves atop the La Liga table and in the 30 May Copa del Rey final.
Luis Enrique will know the Catalan side failed to progress past the Champions League quarter-finals under different management in 2013/14 and should be keen to advance vs. Paris Saint-Germain.
Should Barca's domestic form carry over into continental play, Laurent Blanc and PSG are in for a rude awakening over two legs.
Will Paul Pogba's Absence Noticeably Diminish Juventus Against Monaco?
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Going down with a hamstring injury vs. Borussia Doutmund in Juventus' last Champions League outing, their wunderkind, Paul Pogba, was slated for a seven-week hiatus, per Guardian sport.
Four weeks in, nothing has changed. The three-time defending Serie A champions will be without the 22-year-old against Monaco.
Taken for granted when drawn with Arsenal, the French side has three fantastic pieces in its midfield: Joao Moutinho, Geoffrey Kondogbia and Jeremy Toulalan.
Playing without, arguably, their best central midfielder in Pogba, Juventus must corral the Frenchmen trio down a vital cog. Should Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio overcome, progression is likely.
Atleti, Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain and Porto: Which 'Underdog' Is Best Equipped?
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As the perceived top three clubs (Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid) avoided each other, UEFA has created an exciting prospect for the semi-finals and final, but the other five squads can certainly wreck the party.
One hundred and eighty minutes tend to be truthful. This appears unbecoming news for Monaco and Porto, who appear a class below their opposition.
Should Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain play or exceed their potential (and receive lacklustre performances from Real Madrid and Barcelona), one or both advancing would not come as a shock.
PSG are the best team not favoured on paper, but Barcelona are a buzzsaw when in full flow. Of both domestic champions, Atletico have the better chance of an upset, though classing it an "upset" after recent results against Real would be slightly disingenuous.
*Stats via WhoScored.com; transfer fees via Soccerbase.com where not noted.
