UEFA Champions League preview: Quarter final second leg

Barcelona vs Paris Saint-Germain (Nou Camp, Barcelona, 19:45)

Juventus vs Bayern Munich (Juventus Stadium, Turin, 19:45)

Juventus vs Bayern Munich

Few would bet against Bayern Munich joining fellow German side Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals this evening. Arriving in Turin with a two-goal lead over the Italian champions and on the back of sealing a 23rd league title with a record number of games to spare (6), the team from Bavaria would seem to have few problems to negotiate.

Having finished runners up to Chelsea in last year’s final, sealing the German title with a 1-0 win over Eintract Frankfurt will allow minds to focus completely on Champions League success. Arjen Robben said:

“The title win allows us to concentrate exclusively on this game against Juventus. We have lost two Champions League finals in the last few years and we want to make amends. We are on course to reach another, but we are still not there yet.”

Toni Kroos will be missing for the German champions, but influential defensive midfielder Javi Martinez returns after suspension. Juventus’ hopes of turning the tie around will not be helped by suspensions to Arturo Vidal and Stephan Lichtsteiner, but Andrea Pirlo, having been involved in two of the most famous Champions League comebacks, still holds out hope of overturning the two-goal deficit. Speaking about Liverpool‘s famous Champions League final comeback in Istanbul, the Italian said,

“In Istanbul we were 3-0 up and sure to lift the Champions League trophy.”

Juve will be hoping for a similar miracle tonight in Turin.

Barcelona vs PSG

Blaise Matuidi’s last-gasp strike has given the French side hope for tonight’s tie in Catalonia, but the odds will be stacked against them with Barcelona carrying two away goals from last week’s tie at Parc des Princes and targeting a sixth consecutive Champions League semi-final.

After undergoing two months of treatment in the US for cancer, Barca boss Tito Vilanova should be present in the dugout tonight, where he may be joined by Lionel Messi, who appears to have made a near full recovery from the hamstring strain suffered in the first half in Paris.

Suspension to PSG’s Matuidi means David Beckham should continue in midfield, despite the less-than-favourable reviews he received in the French press for his performance in the first leg, with Marco Veratti likely to start alongside the former England captain after impressing in the short time he was given in last week’s tie.

With Messi back, few would bet against Barcelona joining Real Madrid in the semi-finals, but with the scores tied and Zlatan Ibrahimovi? on the field, still with something to prove against his old club, the tie is not over just yet.