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The stage is all set for some Champions League action tonight. While Manchester City host FC Schalke 04 in a fixture that fairly suggests Manchester City going through, the eyes are all going to be on the mouthwatering clash between Italian champions Juventus and Spanish heavyweights Atletico Madrid.
Atletico carry a 2-0 home advantage to Turin tonight, as they will try to hold their ground as they are about to topple the Champions League favorites Juventus unexpectedly in the Round of 16 stage. The 2-0 home win came via goals from Atletico's centre-backs Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez.
Juventus landed 'Mr. Champions League', Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid at the beginning of the season for the sole purpose of winning the Champions League - a competition which the Italians haven't won since 1996.
But, it will be a mammoth task when they host Atletico today, as the Madrid based club are not a team which usually gives up a 2-0 first-leg advantage in this competition. Without much ado, let's look at 4 things Juventus should do in order to beat Atletico by a margin of 3 goals or more and secure a spot in the Quarter-finals of Europe's biggest competition:
#4 Defend well during Set-Pieces
The key to Atletico's 2-0 win over Juventus at the Wanda Metropolitano was simple - grabbing the opportunity during set-pieces.
Both of Atleti's goals came from set-pieces, and apart from that, Juventus were exceptionally weak in defending the crosses in the box whenever the Spaniards got a free-kick or corner in their half.
If Juventus are to go through tonight, there is no chance if Atletico score, as that would mean Juventus will have to score 4 goals to win the game and the tie. And looking at the past few results of Atletico, especially against the one against Juve, it seems that if Atletico score tonight, it is definitely going to be through a set-piece.
#3 Juve Midfielders to step up big time
Juventus might just have the best attack and the best defense in the whole of Europe, but the department they are still somewhere lacking in is their midfield.
Even if the Juve midfield ranks contain big names like Miralem Pjanic, Blaise Matuidi and Rodrigo Bentancur, this midfield has been lacking luster in the European competitions.
This plot hole was capitalized on beautifully by Atletico manager Diego Simeone, who unleashed his Atleti midfield on them in the first leg in Madrid, and that proved clinical as they beat the Juve midfield in probably every area.
If the Bianconeri are to win this tie tonight, their midfield needs to be as classy as their defense and attack, so that they can support their defenders during opposition counter-attacks, and create as many chances of scoring as possible, for the strikers.
#2 Keep an eye on the Atletico strikers
Though Atletico's both goals in the first leg came from their center-backs, their strikers were lethal in every attacking move the Spanish team created.
Alvaro Morata almost got his name on the score-sheet after a brilliant header in the far post, but the VAR disallowed his goal controversially due to an alleged foul in the penalty box.
Apart from Morata, French World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann hit the crossbar and Spain striker Diego Costa also almost scored when he created a great one on one with keeper Wojciech Sczcesny only to miss the target by a whisker.
It won't just be a focus on goals galore tonight for Juve, as the Atletico Madrid strikers can punish any opposition on the slightest mistake, and so Juventus will have to keep a close eye on them. Probably man-marking them as much as possible might solve this issue.
#1 Unleash Cristiano Ronaldo
If there is anyone in the world who can score 3 goals tonight against Atletico Madrid, and if there is anyone who has done it in the past against the same opposition - it is none other than 'Mr. Champions League', Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese star man is going to be on his top form tonight to take his team to the next stages of the Champions League, as he chases the European trophy with a third different team, a feat that no player has achieved before.
Now it is all in Massimiliano Allegri and Juventus' hands, as to how they use Cristiano tonight, as it will make the world's difference to the tie.
As it has been in the past, for Cristiano to be at his best, the other parts of the team have to be performing at their best, so that the pressure is off his shoulders and he can play his natural game.
Will we see a Cristiano hat-trick tonight? The game is just a few hours away from now.
