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On Tuesday night, Juventus will face a daunting task of overcoming a 2-0 deficit in their own backyard where they will face a resilient Atlético Madrid side. The Bianconeri’s dream of lifting the Champions League for the first time since 1996 took a massive stumble in the first leg of the Round of 16 ties where they were humbled by a clinical Atlético Madrid performance.
Massimiliano Allegri's men are hoping to put up a clinical display in Turin to overcome their disadvantage and progress to the next round but they won't find it any easy this time around. As a matter of fact, below are three reasons why it is almost an impossible task for Juventus to pull off a comeback against their Spanish opposition:
#1 Atlético Madrid’s style of play
If there is any team in Europe that can defend a 2-0 lead away from home, it is Atlético Madrid. The Rojiblancos thrive in these situations. Diego Simeone's men can soak up all the pressure there is till the 90th minute without even breaking their formation for a second.
They have kept clean sheets in their last five fixtures irrespective of the competitions they have played in and astonishingly, they have only conceded eight goals in this season from an open play. Though two left backs, Lucas Hernandez and Filipe Luís will be absent due to injury but still the formidable duo of Diego Godin and José Giménez at the heart of the defense will be extremely difficult to breach for Ronaldo and co.
While Atlético Madrid can sit back and defend all week, let’s not forget that they can also cause problem in the attacking half through the likes of Antoine Griezmann and Álvaro Morata and if they can score an away goal in Turin, it will be “game over” for Juventus because you don’t expect Atlético to concede four in this type of game.
#2 Out of form Ronaldo
Since joining Juventus from Real Madrid in the summer, Cristiano Ronaldo has been magnificent in Serie A but when it comes to the Champions League, it is fair to say that he has struggled to make an impact for the Bianconeri.
Ronaldo’s Champions League career with Juventus started in the worst possible manner when he had to leave the field due to a red card against Valencia in the first matchday of the season. The Portuguese goal machine has only scored once in his six appearances in the Champions League which is really low for the standards, he has set for himself.
All the Juventus fans will be hoping that the five-time Champions League winner will have his say against his old foe but everything points that it will not be an easy game for Juventus following their 2-goal deficit from the first leg.
#3 History repeats itself
Apart from the tactical point of view, Juventus have to fight against all the odds which are stacked heavily against them in order to overcome Atletico and progress into the next round.
81% of teams to win their first leg at home by a 2-0 margin in a Champions League knockout games have managed to progress to the next round, which is 13 out of 16 teams.
Atlético Madrid is the team that Juventus have faced most times in the Champions League without ever winning or scoring a goal. In the last three matches between the two sides, Juventus have drawn once, lost twice and remain scoreless after having as many as 31 shots.
Atlético Madrid are also unbeaten against any Italian opposition under the management of Diego Simeone. In seven games, they have won five and drawn twice. A mouth-watering prospect is on the cards when these two teams will horns once again at the Allianz Stadium in Turin and surely, all the football fans will be in for a show.
