5 players who will decide the outcome when Juventus take on Tottenham Hotspur

The last-16 tie between Juventus and Tottenham is could be one of the most hotly contested of the round. Tottenham's 1-0 derby win over Arsenal has set them up nicely for tomorrow's first-leg and it represents a huge opportunity for Mauricio Pochettino to prove his exciting side can thrive at this level; his side will be eager to prove that their famous triumph in the group stages over Real Madrid was no mere fluke.

Juventus are seasoned Champions League contenders and Massimiliano Allegri will be hoping that this counts for something in the games. Juventus are on a great 11-game winning streak in Serie A, and will be looking to continue this form in the battle against one of the Premier League's strongest teams.

Both are equipped with excellent firepower up front; both are extremely solid in defence. One hopes that the two sides won't cancel each other out by their similarities but the game at the Allianz Stadium will be intriguing nonetheless. This slideshow looks at 5 key players who will decide who triumphs in the first-leg match.

---

#5 Gonzalo Higuain (Juventus)

The Argentine receives a lot of criticism for his fitness levels and seeming lack of effort but there aren't many better natural goal scorers in Europe when Higuain is at his best. After his controversial move from Naples to Turin, he has reached the 50-goal mark in just 88 appearances, an excellent rate.

Higuain has scored 18 goals this season so far, but the Champions League is the competition he regularly struggles in. He has just 30 goals in 98 appearances, far reduced from his strike rate in league competitions. Too often, games in the knockout stages have tended to pass the striker by, as he's found himself stifled by tough defences.

He certainly won't have an easier time of it against Tottenham, whose centre defensive pairing of Belgian duo Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen have been amongst the finest partnerships in Europe in recent seasons. The two share a great understanding between them, and Pochettino is likely to add Davinson Sanchez to his back line for the away tie, going with a more concrete 3-man defence.

This will be to try and give Higuain less space to work with in the penalty box, where he finds his scoring chances, and the striker will have to work extra hard to get opportunities. Higuain turned 30 in December so his opportunities for truly performing at this level are diminishing, so this year could represent one of his best chances to win the Champions League. He's a player who only needs a chance to make his mark, so Higuain will have to be ready and alert tomorrow.

#4 Victor Wanyama (Tottenham)

Tottenham will be desperate for Wanyama to stay clear of injury for the rest of the campaign

The Kenyan powerhouse has only recently returned from an injury but reintroduced himself to the first team with a special strike against Liverpool in their recent 2-2 draw. His team has missed his defensive strengths in the midfield, as his aggressiveness and authority provide the platform for flair players like Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli to perform their roles freely. Wanyama didn't start against Arsenal at the weekend so Pochettino may be looking to use his more defensive-minded ability in this tough upcoming tie.

Moussa Dembele offers great dynamism and dribbling skills, it must be admitted, but this isn't what Tottenham will be in need of tomorrow. The greater protection Wanyama can offer will be vital, especially to thwarting the talents of Paulo Dybala: the little Argentine wizard has been in sensational form for Juventus this season, scoring 14 league goals, and he's the player his team looks to make things happen.

Dybala does his best work operating in the hole behind the strikers, where he can pick up loose balls, thread passes behind the defence, and generally cause mayhem for the opposition, so this area will be key for Wanyama to close down. With Juventus boasting a strong midfield pairing of Sami Khedira and Miralem Pjanic also, Wanyama's all-action and tireless effort will be so important to the success of Tottenham's defensive performance in the contest.

#3 Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus)

Buffon continues to defy his age to make crucial saves for his team

There are many who believe Buffon to be the greatest goalkeeper of all time and the claim is definitely with merit. He has the most appearances for Italy with 175 caps; he has the 2nd most appearances in Serie A after Paolo Maldini with 631. He's a World Cup winner, a 10-time winner of the Italian league, and is still performing to a high level at the grand old age of 40.

What he hasn't been able to add to his immense trophy cabinet is the Champions League: Buffon has suffered 3 hard losses in the final of the competition, in 2003, 2015, and 2017 respectively. It's a point of contention in a career full of success and will be something Buffon will be aiming to rectify, in what may be his last season professionally. The Italian has shared league duties with new signing Wojciech Szczesny with 12 appearances apiece, but Buffon started 5 of the 6 Champions League group stage matches and will be expected to take to the pitch tomorrow again.

When he does he will find himself facing perhaps the best forward in world football this season, Harry Kane. The contest between the finest goalkeeper of his generation and the world-class newcomer will be fascinating to witness. The striker scored 6 goals in his 5 group stage games, shattering any notion that he couldn't perform at this level, but the mighty Buffon will represent a new challenge, the legendary last line of Juventus's formidable defence.

#2 Harry Kane (Tottenham)

Kane applauds the fans after his goal secured victory over rivals Arsenal

Impossible to leave out of this list, Kane is in the form of his life, and has transcended this season to place himself firmly amongst the best strikers in the world. The Englishman is averaging almost a goal a game this season for his club. It was Kane's forceful header which decided the North London derby in their last game, and Tottenham will be looking to him to score any chances he'll be lucky to get against Juventus.

He has scored against some top goalkeepers this season, including Real Madrid's Keylor Navas and Arsenal's Petr Cech, but the opportunity to score against the legendary Buffon will be sweet for a striker like Kane. Under Allegri, Juventus have made their home stadium into a fortress and rarely concede, so Kane should find it tough tomorrow.

In Giorgio Chiellini, Juventus have one of the most dangerously crafty defenders in football, a rugged and strong operator who knows when to tackle and equally knows when to draw a foul against him; Kane is prone to use his physicality to hold the ball up to allow his teammates to join him in attack, a useful skill to have in an away-leg tie, but he'll have to be careful not to allow Chiellini to use this against him.

This will be Kane's first taste of the knockout stages of the Champions League and so he will be eager to prove he can score here too.

#1 Alex Sandro (Juventus)

Sandro has a good chance of being Brazil's starting left-back for this summer's World Cup

The Brazilian has emerged as a great left-back in recent years, one of the best in the world, and his style is key to how Juventus play as a whole. After joining from Porto, Sandro made the position his own, completely dominating his flank with his boundless energy and strong tackling. He started all 6 group stage matches, and led his team in tackles per game (3).

He's a modern-day full-back, equally comfortable in attack and defence. Sandro has provided 4 assists in the league for his teammates, 1 in the Champions League, and Tottenham will have to keep a close eye on his movements.

His opposite full-back Stephen Lichtsteiner has tended to sit back more, allowing Sandro freedom to bomb forward and he will look to do the same tomorrow. Tottenham has rotated their right-backs this season between Serge Aurier and Kieran Trippier with both different challenges for Sandro: the more-attacking minded Aurier will push the left-back deeper, forcing him to concentrate on his defensive positioning, while Trippier will allow Sandro to float further forward and try to block him there.

If Pochettino does go with the more defensively-sound Englishman, then Sandro could play a big part in getting in behind the right-back and getting quality deliveries into the box for Higuain to latch onto.