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Even though Real Madrid vs Paris Saint-Germain remains the clash of the round of 16, but Tottenham versus Juventus also promises to be a smacking entertainer.
The unstoppable attack of Spurs versus the indomitable defence of the Old Lady is one contest every football fan is looking forward to.There will be a lot of individual battles which will decide the outcome of the tie.
The Champions of Italy looked shaky in the start of the season, but now they are back in contention for a seventh straight Italian League. Gianluigi Buffon and his defence has not conceded a goal in their last seven games, which gives a hint that the runners-up from the last season of the Champions League are back on track.
Spurs, on the other hand, have been inconsistent this season, but in the Champions League, they have looked strong. The win over Real Madrid at Wembley and a point at the Bernabeu has been the silver lining of their season till now.
Let us look at the tactical points and the individual battles that would decide in whose way would the tie turn.
#1 The Presence of Paula Dybala
The Argentine maestro has been in top form; he has already netted 17 goals in 28 games this season. This season looked like it was his to conquer but a hamstring injury has kept him out of action since January.
We had seen last season against Barcelona that what can he do. So his presence in the Bianconeri line up can make a lot of difference in the tie. The reports say that he may miss the first leg against Spurs but will be back for the second leg.
#2 The Midfield battle
Games of this calibre are always decided in this part of the field. Massimiliano Allegri likes to shuffle his midfield, but the two players who always have been constant are Miralem Pjanic and Sami Khedira. Allegri starts with a three-man midfield, with Sturaro or Matuidi with Pjanic and Khedira.
Mauricio Pochettino always plays with a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Eric Dier and Mousa Dembele act has the holding midfielders which a lot of freedom to Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen.
One thing which favours Juventus here is the depth in their squad; they can use Sturaro or Marchisio or Blaise Matuidi. Marchisio gives them more experience, while the other two gives them pace to support their forwards Mandzukic and Higuain.
Tottenham, have Victor Wanyama who gives them strength but Pochettino may field an unchanged midfield for the Champions League clash after winning the North London Derby this weekend.
#3 The battle in the wings
Both the teams love to attack from the wings; Douglas Costa vs Sergio Aurier and Mario Mandzukic vs Danny Rose would be quite a battle to see. The whole battle depends if Aurier and Rose start ahead of Trippier and Davies. Rose and Aurier add more flair to their attack, but the other two are more defensive. The problem for the wing-backs would be to tackle with the agility of Douglas Costa.
On the other hand, Alex Sandro and Stephen Lichsteiner will have to face the swiftness of Son Heung-Min and Christian Eriksen.
The full-back options are more with Spurs, but Juventus also have squad depth in that position. Recently they have been shifting with De Sciglio and Lichsteiner on the right flank, and Sandro with Asamoah on the left
Both the teams believe a lot in crossing the ball, which makes the full-backs an integral part of their game.
#4 Juventus defence vs Harry Kane
The top scorer of the calendar year 2017 collides with one of the best defensive team in Europe. Harry Kane is probably the most complete striker in the world right now. The Spurs striker is in hot form, after leading Tottenham to win over their rivals Arsenal at the Wembley Stadium.
The Bianconeri defence led by Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli, and Gigi Buffon has been on song after last defeat to Sampdoria on 19 November 2017. The team has kept clean sheets against Napoli, Barcelona, Milan, Inter, and Roma on the course of their undefeated run since November.
The fact that they have not conceded a single goal in their last seven games, gives Harry Kane additional motivation to penetrate their defence.
#5 Gonzalo Higuain vs Jan Vertonghen
Vertonghen has been at the heart of the Spurs defence for the last few years. He has been the leader from the back, with Davinson Sanchez providing support this season. The contest between Vertonghen and the Juventus No. 9 will be worth watching.
Higuain has been a player who has a reputation of not turning up in big games, but we saw last season in the semi-finals of the tournament against Monaco what Higuain can do in a big game. This would be his chance to show what he is capable of and change his reputation. He has already scored 17 goals in 32 games this season. His aim would be to beat Hugo Lloris on multiple occasions and give the team from a Turin a spot in the quarter-finals.
