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Atletico Madrid and Juventus, two of the biggest clubs in Europe will lock horns in the first leg of the round of 16 clashes of the UEFA Champions League this week. The first leg will be played at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Spain.
Juventus are probably having their best season in recent years as they are unbeaten after 24 rounds in the Serie A. Atletico, on the other hand, are behind Barcelona in the league, but ahead of their cross-city rivals, Real Madrid.
Allegri's men finished their group in the first position ahead of Manchester United, while Atletico Madrid finished second behind Borussia Dortmund due to goal difference.
Let us take a look at the reasons which makes the tie a must watch:
#2 The battle of the best defences in the world
The game will be nothing less than a masterclass when two of the best defensive teams in the world face each other for a spot in the Champions League quarterfinals.
Juventus have Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, who can be considered as the best centre-back duo in the world at their disposal. Under the guidance of the Italians, Juventus have only conceded only 15 goals from 24 matches played in the Serie A.
In fact, Juventus' 3-0 loss in the Italian Cup against Atalanta was mainly due to the absence of Chiellini and Bonucci, who were injured (Chiellini started the match but was replaced in the first half).
Diego Godin has been the most important player for Atletico in recent years, defensively and scoring important goals. The Uruguayan will be at the heart of the Atletico defence again.
Los Rojiblancos have conceded only 17 times from 24 games in LaLiga. The defenders of Atletico will have the tough task of stopping Juventus' players from scoring away goals which will give them an advantage in the series.
It will be interesting to watch which of the teams will be able to keep a clean sheet in an exciting tie.
#1 Return of Ronaldo to Spain
Cristiano Ronaldo has predictably become the essential part of the Juventus squad since joining them in July. The forward has found the back of net 19 times and has provided eight assists in 24 appearances in Italy's top tier League, leading the tournament in both categories.
The talismanic forward is completely on a different level in the Champions League. The 34-year-old has scored four goals in six Champions League games against Atletico Madrid and will hope to score this time as well.
As the all-time top goalscorer in the tournament, Ronaldo's return to Madrid is certainly the biggest highlight of the upcoming UCL fixture. In last year's knockout stage, he scored six goals in seven matches and guided Real Madrid third consecutive title.
Ronaldo has scored 16 goals in his last 12 matches in the knockout stage of the UCL.
