UEFA Champions League 2018-19: 5 key battles that will light up the Round of 16 games

Lionel Messi has made his impact each and every time that he started in the Champions League. He won Player of the Week awards in all of his starts.

#4 Christian Eriksen vs Marco Reus (Tottenham vs Dortmund)

The ever-present guard of the Iduna Park: Marco Reus

Any football game is decided on the midfield of the pitch. That's why the midfield is called the heart of the team. In the Round-of-16, two teams, which depend on their youth prowess, will go head-to-head -- Tottenham and Borussia Dortmund. Both teams have a very low average age of players. What is even more common is the proficiency of their attacking midfield stars, Christian Eriksen and Marco Reus.

Both the Dane and the German are very creative on the ball. They are blessed with good passing ability, shooting ability, and dribbling ability. Although they are not the best goalscorers, they are really good playmakers. Here is a comparison of their stats. Both have played around 1600 minutes. Here are the other stats.

By the stats, we can comprehend the attacking prowess of these players and their importance to the team. Although they play in the attacking midfield, both these players are good contributors in the center of the park and in the defense too. There is no doubt that a face-off between the two is imminent. They have the talent to fight fire with fire and they also have the talent to neutralize one another. What unfolds will be seen at Wembley.

Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee