My preparations for this match have been perfect. After crawling out of bed to find my youngest niece, beloved baby goblin (her elder sister I call Monkeyface) squealing in my sister’s arms at the door as my hellhound threw himself into his trademark berserker routine, I devoured a breakfast fit for a viking King just returned from battle, slowly regained my balance from a dreadful hangover, jumped aboard my two wheeled devil steed, aimed at the ocean and hit launch. Forging a bed of sand on the close to deserted beach I joyfully lost myself in the lines of Money (Martin Amis) and was awakened from my fugue state by the sound of my own voice roaring obscenities as my eyes became blinded and painful from what seemed to be the start of a storm. I observed myself telling the wind to go eat a bowl of fuck…Was this the beginning of tourettes? NO. It was time to throw myself into the ever growing in volume and height waves, squeal with joy like a child as I jumped and rolled and floated, thrown hither and thither by Nature’s finest onslaught. A glorious two hours spent under the powerful gaze of our nearest and dearest star then home to the hound, gardening, planting, tidying up my ‘special plants’ and finally the call came, from the stand-in boss at work, approving my late show tomorrow morning, allowing me to remain in my lair to watch the entirety of the Battle for Bavaria. Everything seemed to be falling into place…
That was, until I peeked at the italian sports sites and discovered that not only Chiellini remained highly doubtful, yet the fiends had thrown Big Mario and Il Principino into the list of possible, even probable absentees. Which leaves this preview in tatters before I have even truly begun. Headlines of ‘Chiellini hopes close to zero‘ are not however, enough to curb my enthusiasm.
Our form of late has been average. Other than the horror show against Inter in the coppa italia, the performances have been fine, the results perfect. Which is a little more than can be said for our opponents, for Munich were recently beaten at home by Mainz, drew away with their only potential rival for the title, Dortmund, before smashing poor Bremen 5-0 last weekend back in their Allianz fortress.
Let us focus on the worst case scenario of all three suspects forced to find themselves at best on the bench…
Buffon
Lichsteiner Barzagli Bonucci Evra
Cuadrado Khedira Hernanes Pogba
Zaza/Morata Dybala
That is what I suspect Allegri would deploy in such horrid circumstances. My own preference would be for Rugani to play in central defence (to allow the 3-5-2). I feel his lack of experience is less of a concern than starting with Cuadrado, in fact, such a game could be the making of the youngster…regardless of the result. That is, of course, as long as we do not get pummelled. Which on the basis of the first 50 minutes of our most recent outing against Munich, must be considered a woeful possibility. My opposition towards the inclusion of the Colombian is that his game is too one dimensional to trouble Bayern. He is a one trick pony whose shooting and passing is often below average. Perhaps it is too cavalier to play Rugani, and clearly Allegri sees him as one for the future, to be brought through carefully and on a steady, not rushed timeframe.
The other main gripe with this formation is that Pogba is pushed out wide when his best work is always through the middle. When finding the ball and charging forward at pace. He has the skills to be useful on the left, but why not place him centrally with Khedira and have Sandro as an orthodox left winger to counterbalance Cuadrado. This would be more balanced in many ways.
Although Mandzukic would be a huge miss, on the positive side of the dilemma is that both Zaza and Morata are far less likely to be making up numbers in midfield and defence. Their game is solely focused on the final third. Which could well work in our favour, for to avoid another siege where we defend like lunatics, pack our rear third with 10 players and have no outlet up top is certainly in Allegri’s thinking. The way to bother Bayern is to attack their defence, as hard as possible, through the middle. Which is why I suspect Zaza would be a more viable replacement for Big Mario. The major problem with offering Zaza the spot is that he will be forced to tackle, for we will be under pressure for much of the game, and the frontman’s tackling can at best be described as overzealous. Every challenge he makes in the defensive phase is either potentially career ending or a red card. Still…I can’t help but admire his grit.
I hope that if there is any question of Marchisio’s fitness that he doesn’t start. Rather a fit Sturaro or Hernanes than a ghost, in such a vital area of the field.
Unfortunately, I find it hard to see us winning the tie without Chiellini. His loss will be the most deeply felt, yet perhaps he will play. Whilst reports have been anything but positive, none have suggested any worse than ‘he has been training apart from the squad, when Allegri had hoped he would have rejoined his comrades by now’. Unlike Marchisio, who is a pale imitation of himself when unfit, I have often seen Chiellini play with what appear wounds severe enough to demand a stretcher, if not a gurney, yet he shrugs his shoulders, embraces the sponge and becomes ever more brutal.
Let us, for a brief moment, ponder the best possible scenario, in terms of selection…
Buffon
Lichsteiner Barzagli Bonucci Chiellini Evra
Khedira Marchiso Pogba
Mandzukic Dybala
Now there is a side which can cause serious problems for any opponent…Even swapping Marchisio for Hernanes does not dent my confidence considerably, for the Brazilian was superb in our first collision with the monstrous swine machine. I would even go so far as to suggest that Sturaro could offer more bite than Khedira. Less experience of course, less technical ability, but he has the zeal we require in spades to balance out the scales. Talent is hugely important, yet the value of drive, of grit, of fight can never be underestimated.
It was no surprise to find our fortunes change for the better (in the first leg) when we replaced both Khedira and Marchisio with Hernanes and Sturaro. The latter duo were fitter, sharper and far more determined. Which unsettled Bayern considerably. It was the combined effect of both players which completely changed the midfield dynamic, and the course of the match.
One thing also worth considering is something which Peter mentioned in another thread. Namely that Allegri has shown that he often improves tactically upon the second meeting with a side in Europe. Especially in the knock-out phases. Of course the same can be said of Guardiola. Yet of the two, it is the Spaniard upon whose shoulders weigh heaviest with pressure.
The Bayern coach – who must be looking upon Man City’s haphazard form with less enthusiasm than he would have felt when signing the contract to head there in the Summer – is desperate to win the champions league before his tenure in Bavaria draws to a close. Yes yes! He has continued their outstanding domestic dominance, yet the European title has eluded his reach. Absent of this accolade, many will consider his work in Germany to be nothing more than average. He inherited a wonderful side, has altered it to his liking and methods, yet has he achieved more success than his predecessors? The answer is presently NO. To fail yet again in the premier continental competition will erode the aura which surrounds him of a gifted genius who worked wonders with Barca and is widely praised as one of the finest minds in football.
Whoever starts for Juve, all I demand and hope for is to find pride in their performance. Players live for this kind of match, the opportunity to test themselves against the very best, the elite. Reputations can be gilded or broken in such ties. I am less interested in the result than I am in the fury of our battle cry…
We are very much the underdogs, yet let us become the hounds of war.
BREAKING NEWS
It is with some sorrow that I must confirm the club statement just issued…
Paulo Dybala and Claudio Marchisio will not be available for the game against Bayern Munich. Dybala is suffering from lesions to his left calf and will be monitored on a daily basis in the lead up to the derby with Torino. Marchisio’s calf is mangled and he will be unavailable for an estimated 20 days.
Well well well! Whilst such revelations are far from ideal, the positives to take are immense! For Dybala is a major loss, yet I will try to carefully suggest that his lack of experience against top class opposition soothes the blow. And in his stead we have Morata and Zaza. The injury to Marchisio is more a concern for our league campaign, for we have others, such as Sturaro and Hernanes capable of slotting in for this match, and who can say, perhaps they will offer more bite and snarl than Il Principino, who was awful in the first leg.
As for the positives…Mandzukic and Chiellini appear ripe and ready. Two players who possess the spartan menace which I have long thought will be the only chance we have to prosper in this battle. We must assume both will start.
Buffon
Lichstiner Barzagli Bonucci Chiellini Evra
Khedira Hernanes Pogba
Mandzukic Morata
Fine, absolutely fine! The news has far from dampened my spirits, for it has nourished them!
BREAKING NEWS
I may have been a little over eager…for it appears, despite my pouncing upon the absence of Chiellini and Mandzukic from the official announcement of injuries, the general consensus appears to lead to neither players entering the fray from the first whistle. Without them both, we are lost facing a steeper ascent in our uphill mission for glory.
Finally…
Such was my excitement that I rushed the preview through last night assuming we were playing this morning. Yet when I woke, to the growls of the blur of fur and fang perfectly cocooned in the nook of my knees and began searching for my live stream I realized my error. Regardless, it was fun to conjure the above whilst fearing the clock ticking steadily away in the background and it remains of some value. In terms of a final update…
Allegri is expected to deploy a 4-3-3. Hernanes produced a sterling showing when replacing Marchisio previously. Yet Khedira could also be deployed as the fulcrum, centrally screening the defence and creating play from deep. If the German was moved to the middle, it would allow Sturaro to play CMR. This seems a safer bet and allows us to make use of Stefano’s youthful exuberance and hustle.
Morata on the left of Big Mario and Cuadrado on the right. This is a very offensive formation, one we are largely forced into by the need to score and injuries. The two wide forwards will offer next to no muscle in the rearguard action, yet they will, as is their nature, offer reference points higher up the field which could assist us immensely in terms of creating chances and allowing the defence the chance to breathe and regroup before the next wave of Munchen pressure appears on our shores.
For those bereft of hope, for those convinced we are marching towards our own execution for the world to see…kindly watch the second half of the initial stage of this clash of the Titans staged in Turin on the 23rd February…During which, we played our finest football without Marchisio, Dybala and Chiellini.
Forza Juve
dybala & marchisio to miss bayern 🙁
I’ve just seen the official 21-man squad list. Chiellini, Marchisio, Dybala won’t be there.
I’m not exactly happy about this.
Chiellini we can do without, but without Dybala AND Marchisio we are screwed.
None of them were on the field when we took the fight to Bayern in the first leg, clawed the game back to 2-2 and could have won…Sturaro doesn’t have the ability to pick out a pass like Hernanes. Only way to reconfigure would be to place Pogba central and Sturaro on his left. Sturaro can enter for Khedira when/if needed. Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of Stefano, he has wonderful bite and energy and his concentration levels are potent. Just would err on the side of experience in this one, in key areas of the field…
I didn’t realise that, Chiellini was injured in the first leg too, we can do without him, Marchisio was taken off before we started fighting back, Hernanes his replacement so i guess playing Hernanes would make sense judging on the other match, however, Dybala scored the first goal that made us believe again. I have faith in Morata and Mandzukic, but i’m sure we’re gonna miss Dybala big time.
We’ll have quality players on the field nonetheless and we showed that we can beat them.
Sandro in for Evra
Mandzukic will be there comrade, but not Chiellini, Marchisio or Dybala
Indeed, my friend…I had to sleep…and have since caught up on the latest news and added a few extra lines above. This damn time difference plays havoc with my life when Juve delve deep into the champions league.
Lichsteiner-Bonucci-Barzagli-Evra
Sturaro-Hernanes
Cuadrado-Pogba-Alex Sandro
Morata
Great to see Clemenza and Pozzebon in the squad. Although its out of necessity not due to their sudden rise to prominence. It will be a brilliant experience for the kids to travel and train with the match day squad, and who can say…perhaps we will lose two of our strikers, which could well mean that one of the primavera stars joins Zaza in making up the numbers on field!…Speaking of the U19s, we won our first group match in the Viareggio recently, beating Deportivo Camioneros (Argies) 2-0, both goals coming from Vadala. Our foes had a player sent off after 50 minutes, then lost two more to red cards in stoppage…next on the fixture list are Crotone this afternoon, who drew 0-0 with LIAC New York in their opener. It seems a win will be enough to put us through to the next round…
despite the large injury wave, nothing has changed from last time.
we will put a team on the field that still in the eyes of any opponent is terrifying
why you ask?
Juventus is not paulo dybala, marchisio, or chiellini
Juventus is not the class that drips of the indiviudal players
Juventus is not the club which will dedicate the whole formation for one individual
Juventus, in my eyes, is a club where every player is part of a whole
‘the sum of its parts is more than them each individually’
Juventus have class in their squad, but more importantly commitment.
i see players on the bench who celebrate for a goal -scored by a DIRECT competitor for the same position- and still lose their minds with happyness.
this squad isnt Pogba and dybala killing it and the rest trying to keep up. It is every player trying to keep up with the train that is plouwing through every obstacle.
tonight Juventus may lose, but i have never been so proud of a squad as i have been this year. Everyone is fighting for each other, everyone is laughing with each other, and most importantly: in the end, who scores the goals for juve is not important…
how terrifying for the opponent to see a bench warmer come on to the field, and have full support of fans, teammates and coach. Every player is vital (yes even you padoin), adn every player will be needed this game to take on the german champions
prediction: 2-3
Welcome words, Thomas! The spirit and togetherness of our squad and club as a whole, is our only chance to get through the tie. I am only bothered majorly by Dybala’s absence, as I felt the stage was set for his blossoming form to emerge on the big stage. Yet the fact of the matter is that he was unable to do much in the first leg, and we were at our best without him, Marchisio and Chiellini. So I prefer to focus on the positives.
I very much like the idea of Khedira in the middle to accommodate Sturaro. We need bite, we need zeal, perhaps more than guile. Yet to be fair, Hernanes did play very well indeed in the last fixture against the Germs. Other than which, he hasnt had any lengthy chances since to build on that. I’d prefer the youngster.
The only weakness I see in the side is Cuadrado. Yet with Morata and Mandzukic, his pace may be useful.
Never know with Allegri. He is a canny fellow. Far more canny than most give him credit for.
very poetic 😉 to want Dybala to blossom, but i believe that Allegri needs to look at this game like the beginning of the season. then Dybala needed to be brought slowly, and i think it shows character of Allegri to not bring him in today against these giants.
Hernanes has convinced me that he is trying hard, and therefore i feel his past performances (negative ones) can be forgiven. Several games such as the first leg against bayern, and some games again Inter he has attempted to show he has skill, and shown that he wants to work hard.
i would love to see sturaro play this game, but i think he will come on quite late… And Khedira……… i dono. i think he just needs some time without the pressure of such a huge game, so i would not play him.
I think i am one of the few who absolutely sees nothing in Cuadrado. Despite his player of the month performance in the last games, he always lets me down when he pops up against a defender who has class.
Ok his combinatinos with Dybala against Sassuolo were great, but sometimes he just seems to push the ball forward and hope for the best… i would love to see him put more thought into actions, and not always the same which any defender with half a brain can counter. HE is improving, and proving me wrong game after game, but tbh: the opponents he is against arent always world class.
BTW:
im seeing you are quite active in these forums. I used to be too but with university stuff buiding up i havnt been much active in the last year. HOpefully after my last exam this month we can have some more good discussions 😉
Forza juve!!!
Cuadrado can be sort of betraying. He has great pace and runs which make him look good, but when he needs to give a cross he usually fails and disappoints. Many times he can’t get past a defender and when he does, he again fails delivering the ball. Maybe he can’t handle the pressure, he showed great things at Fiorentina.
yeah, but at fiorentina i feel like it was the same thing he was showing
im kinda hoping juventus manage to find someone better. on the other hand he is playing well at times, and costs not too much .
im still hoping juventus strenghten the squad with Isco next summer. this would be the kind of class needed to join Barca and Bayern at the top
And that’s why i love this club.
I love you.
No Mandzukic.
Interesting line up.
Yeah Hernanes behind Morata and both Evra and Sandro playing.
Not Pogba behind Morata? Commentators said so here
Idk i saw it here: https://www.flashscore.nl/wedstrijd/0WnUlFKf/#opstellingen;1
Missed it when the lineup showed on tv.
Link is what I saw on my stream too.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
POGBAAAAA
YES!
#BeHeroes
Cuadrado is helping out well defensively so far
Was that really offside?
Probably just, but it was close.
Commentator now says it might not have been.
Any links fellas
wiz1.net
cricfree.tv
I’m watching on tv so i haven’t checked them.
YES YES
JSCNFFFMSN ,SZCNF,ZNCSFNVFXsD.naCSJNSB FCJMSNV.SB CUADRADO I LOVE YOU I NEVER DOUBTED YOU GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh my god lads!!!!!
Oh my god CUADRADOOO SCORES
Ha ha ….fucking vidal !
wrong directoin
fucking mercenery
Omg :s
It was no offside guys.
No fucking offside at all, it should have been 0-3 already
Do you guys have a video?
Its on tv here and they showed it in replay, very clearly not offside, but I dont have a video for it
Pogba dominates Vidal :DD
Mandzu is actually a defensive sub this time, lol
We can’t hold on to the ball anymore
Don’t do this to me…
5 more minutes or so
Fucking great. Thank you ref.
Fucking hell
I fuckin knew it.. goddamn. Don’t have a good feeling about it
Why did Allegri take Morata off, he was on fire..
question is why did he send sturaro!!! on, he did everything wrong, didnt win single ball (well 1) khedira played great game, he pressed bayern like hell, but sturaro did shit, since then we were static and bayern started dominate .
Sturaro has had a couple of very solid subsitutions in the CL this season, that’s probably why.
a couple of solid games doesnt make him champion like sammi , god damn im still pissed off.
Pretty sure he was exhausted
Should have kept morata on he was giving us that attack instinct now they know were going to defend for next half hr and go fir penalties
Dont forget that eve!
How could they give it away like this..
Feeling sick to my fucking stomach
We can’t take Bayern, 3 times in a row we’ve failed now and when we can finally take them, the referee becomes Bayern player number 12. I can’t get over that moment. It would have ended 2-3 at highest.
Vidal has been picking fights with his former teammates all match.
“Beautiful game” my ass..
Anyway, we belong to the top of the world. Bayern is the 2nd strongest team in the world right now behind Barcelona, we might be number 3 or 4.
It feels like they didn’t win it, we lost it.
Guys!! This was Juve as a topteam. I dont want to hear cry and shit.
We can make it.
Almost today.
So. Next year.
Im proud of everyone of Juve!!
hope without fucking evra and sturaro
That goal that was supposedly offside should’ve stood. Not trying to be a bad loser. It just wasn’t offside
You’re not a bad loser, we have the right to complain. One goal can always happen, to any defence, and if the 1-2 is scored it becomes a madhouse. If it was 1-3 we would have easily made it.
We got robbed by the ref.
We literally gave it to them
That third attack when pogba passed it to cuadrado should have put it in
And hernanes was like a ghost most of the game
so we got kicked by “our” players, Llorente and now shitface coman, marotta you idiot! when you loan or sell (or give for free!!!) a player ,try to insert some clause so he cant play against us . simple as that. god damn im so pissed off , i would broke evra’s nose straight away.when i saw how morata missed the sitter i knew we will pay for it.cuadrado another 100% chance, lichsteiner another1 but he cant hit the ball with left food!!! mandzukic was playing? i saw him going on, but, where did he go?! sandro is BEAST, superb!!! evra you are DONE, f.o.!!! sturaro is another padoin, nothing more and you can say what you want about him.lemina should play instead him.god damn.
I doubt Bayern would agree to that. Coman wanted to go, no use keeping a player that doesnt want to be here.
Evra did fine, maybe not in the end but by then everything went to hell, i can’t even remember what exactly happened in that mess.
he decided to go forward but lost the ball straight away, it wasnt for the first time he did this i remember he did the same thing but dont know what match it was. if bayern wouldnt agree to that , then fuck them, we didnt need to sell him, could loan him elsewhere
Wtf happened? Yea the ref fucked up with the dissalloewed goal but wtf? We re up 0-2 and toss in the trash and end up losing with 4 goals conceded. Thats not what top teams do. What kind mentality is that?
we stopped with pressing, stopped run, and just keep kicking the ball away, great tactic.
Like Kps says, we stopped pressing and let them walk over us. Without Morata we had no one to make any decent runs up front. I think we had one decent chance in extra time which ended with Lichtsteiner shooting with his wrong foot. Lichtsteiner is no attacker.
Top teams don’t give up a 2 goal lead, i don’t know how true that is since Bayern did the exact same thing. This team plays for the first time in europe without Pirlo Tevez and Vidal. Another lesson to be learned, better luck next year i guess. I stick by the referee fucking us up and a video ref can’t come soon enough.