Juventus out to prove European credentials in return leg

Old Lady travel to Bernabeu with a slender one-goal advantage over Real Madrid.

KARACHI:

When the Champions League semi-final draws were announced on April 24, many felt defending champions Real Madrid had gotten the easiest route to the finals against Italian champions Juventus, who were making their first semi-final appearance since 2003.

However, the way things unfolded in Turin last week aptly reminded everyone of glorious bygone days when the Old Lady was a genuine threat in Europe and entered contests as favourites rather than as underdogs.



Los Blancos boasted one of the best attacking line-ups in the world entering the tie, but the way Massimiliano Allegri’s men approached the game against the 10-time European champions was quite remarkable. Not only did they claim a 2-1 lead to take to Madrid, they outplayed their opponents for most of the game, something which Real are not used to; especially with the world-class talent at Carlo Ancelotti’s disposal.

Juve now travel to Madrid looking to hold on to a slender lead and reach their first final in 12 years, while Real — out to end the Champions League jinx that has seen no side successfully defend the crown — will in all likelihood look to grab the initiative right from the get-go.



With the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored the equaliser, Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez, who almost gave his side an unlikely lead when he hit the upright with a point-blank header, to call upon and Karim Benzema and Toni Kroos returning from injury, Ancelotti will still be fancying his chances as even a 1-0 win will see them through courtesy of the away goals rule. However, his old side boasts Europe’s tightest defence, one that has conceded just 12 in 24 away matches.

The failed Ramos experiment and the midfield dilemma

With Luka Modric out injured and unavailable for the first leg, Ancelotti had deployed defender Sergio Ramos in midfield, as he had previously done against Atletico Madrid and Sevilla, to add some defensive muscle in the centre of the pitch and ensure that ‘creative maestro’ Andrea Pirlo does not get much time on the ball.

The experiment however, backfired as Ramos was unable to curb the Italian’s threat and instead was profligate in possession, with his ambitious cross-field passes going out of play more often than finding the intended target.

Ancelotti said that Ramos’ days in midfield are not yet over but with German World Cup winner Sami Khedira also in the ranks, the Spaniard may find himself lining up alongside Pepe in the heart of the defence instead.

Should Juve hold on or seek an away goal?

Allegri would certainly be tempted to try and hold onto the one-goal lead but the Italian would know full well that that is a dangerously risky strategy. In front of a vociferous Santiago Bernabeu and up against one of the most lethal attacks in world football, shutting out Los Blancos is easier said than done.



Real will, however, leave spaces for the likes of Carlos Tevez to exploit as they chase the game and Allegri will be looking to keep it at 0-0 as long as possible. The longer it stays that way, the more desperate Real become and the better the chances of Juventus reaching the final.

One goal from the Italians would mean Real need to score two but if they are able to get two past Iker Casillas, then the champions will require four to reach the final. While scoring twice may be a tempting proposition, Valencia were the only side this season to have taken a two-goal lead at the Bernabeu this season. So that, too, will not be easy.



However, Allegri goes to Real knowing that the ball is in the home side’s court. All he needs to do is react to their tactics, soak up the pressure and hit on the counter. Real, on the other hand, have the unenviable task of overturning a one-goal deficit against an Italian side.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th,  2015.

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