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There sits the Champions League. The grand size of it, a mere hint of the significance. Those shiny round ears have heard screams and cries of jubilation, the like of which domestic trophies couldn’t possibly recall. Wolf whistling from an entire stadium, men and women alike, as it sits exposed before kick off.
A small matter of which side it will submit to, as the most elegant of dogfights commences between coaches and players, desperate to tie their team's ribbons around those ever-growing ears.
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This year's Champions League has been unconventionally brilliant. Comebacks have become the norm in Europe, and the return of a few old faces on the block has created anticipation for some nostalgia filled nights.
A repeat of the ’96 final between Ajax and Juventus promises to be a thriller…or if you’re not yet approaching a mid-life crisis, a repeat of the 2011 final between Manchester United and Barcelona might bring back some memories.
Do not win the first leg. It’s a trap. Yours sincerely… Real, Atleti, Roma and PSG.
Bookies will offer ridiculous odds for Barcelona, City and Juventus to win the trophy. Buyers beware; Pep’s City is competing in 3 competitions (having won one) and their squad depth is questionable. Valverde’s Barcelona have shown a clear reliance on Leo Messi, and Allegri’s failure to form a clear identity with Juventus has always caught up to him in Europe’s latter stages.
Let's take a more magnified look at the ties in store...
#1 Young Ajax and their date with La Vecchia Signora
Juventus have their eighth Scudetto in the bag and having been knocked out of the Coppa Italia, their entire focus lies upon ending the Champions League curse, having lost five finals since winning it in ‘96.
This might be their biggest chance yet, so Allegri must keep the shackles off after that incredible second-leg against Atletico Madrid. Juventus will need to play their creative cards in midfield against Ajax’s press, starting with Rodrigo Bentancur and Miralem Pjanić.
A resurgence of one of the greatest clubs in football carried out by its own youth, Ajax schooled Real Madrid in order to get here, which itself is an incredible feat.
This is a side waiting to be underestimated, so they can unleash their counter-pressing hounds. Ajax have had many ‘exciting’ sides in the past decade, but ultimately, it was often the case of all style, no substance.
#2 Pep and Poch
There’s a visual stimulation that comes from watching Manchester City that remains unmatched by any other side. Guardiola’s side remains in an often transcendental harmony and could become the first English side in history to win the quadruple. Quadruple.
Injuries have been an ill-omen for City with Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy, and Kun Aguero all doubts for the clash against Spurs. Aguero was at his dazzling best until yet another muscle injury struck against Fulham. He is expected to return for today’s first-leg, but potential recurrence will linger over Pep’s bald crystal ball.
Spurs are in excellent health and are finally playing at home. City will be the first Champions League guests in their new fortress - the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Harry Kane and co. gave Lucien Favre’s impressive Borussia Dortmund side a hefty beating in the previous round. That 4–0 aggregate score has been one of the less talked about surprises in this years pulsating Champions League, and Spurs deserve a heap of praise for their performance.
Boiling hot Catalan roots in an all English encounter. Both of these sides pillaged their way through Germany to get here, and must now put each other to the sword.
#3 San Iker and the Reds
Liverpool and Porto are two teams who find themselves with a distracted eye coming into this tie. Both sides are slightly off track in a two-horse race to win their respective league titles.
Liverpool will have to nullify Porto’s expansive wingers without their ‘one-man pressing machine’, Andy Robertson. Van Dijk will need to continue his great work at the back to stop Moussa Marega from scoring in seven successive Champions League games.
Porto have plenty of young talent to complement the iconic veteran, Iker Casillas. However, their captain and underappreciated midfielder Hector Herrera will be a critical miss through suspension. Alex Telles will play through the discomfort, however, that’s always a given for full-backs facing Mo Salah.
The scousers licked their lips when they were drawn against Porto. Justifiably? Most likely. Porto’s resurrection against the Romans was top drawer viewing, but Liverpool’s nuclear battleships are fast approaching and flashbacks of last seasons 5–0 defeat won’t ease Sérgio Conceição’s stress.
#4 Messi vs Manchester United
Watching Barcelona play, it often seems they’re a Messi injury away from extinction. A team filled with stars, they still lack a source of final-third creativity other than the Argentine. A lingering void from Andres Iniesta’s departure.
Luckily for the Catalans, the spectacular 90-minute imitations of Xavi Hernandez, by Arthur Melo, have smoothly carried themselves over to Europe. He and Busquets will be key to Barcelona’s likely dominance.
Ole Gunnar Solksjaer drove his Manchester United side through the hedges, into the quarters, small thanks to some VAR chaos. Facing Barcelona will certainly be the biggest challenge of his managerial career.
As ever, Pogba must be talismanic, but Martial and Rashford will be pivotal when attacking spaces behind Barcelona, as Villarreal’s Samuel Chukwueze particularly enjoyed in the recent 4–4 La Liga thriller.
A new-found spirit arose in the red part of Manchester since Solksjaer arrived. A spirit which brought along ‘Ole’s at the wheel’, the repetition of which may help United catch Barcelona’s defence sleeping. A lethal weapon.
Despite the league situation taking a giant sideways step, United are in with a huge chance to exact revenge on a topsy-turvy Barcelona, and with a little luck, all is possible.
