Champions League 2016-17: 5 players who will decide the semi final between Juventus and AS Monaco
AS Monaco have been the team to watch out for in the current edition of the UEFA Champions League. The side has already beaten superstar-laden Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund to advance to the semi-finals of the tournament.
They are now set to face Italian heavyweights Juventus in the semi-finals of the tournament in what many believe is their biggest test of the season.
The old lady of Turin has been in an absolutely terrific form coming into the game and has shown the ability to keep even the best of attacking talents on the planet silent for large durations of the game.
With Monaco’s exuberant attacking football set to lock horns with the resolution and discipline of Juventus, the tie is generating a lot of interest and the footballing world cannot wait for the game to get under way.
In this segment, we take a look at 5 players, who we believe, could determine the course of the games between the two sides.
#5 Fabinho
The Brazilian midfielder has seen his stock rise rapidly over the course of the last few years, courtesy of his steely performance at the heart of the Monaco midfield and will be one of the key players for the side when they take on the mighty old lady of Turin.
The no-nonsense hard tackling midfielder has been a rock solid presence for Les Monegasques alongside Tiemoue Bakayoko and will look to disrupt the rhythm of the well-oiled machine that is the Juventus midfield, while also ensuring he plays his role in building up attacking play for his side.
He has been very successful at keeping the opposition midfielders occupied with his presence with a mixture of tackles, interceptions, blocks and recoveries and will be looking to continue the trend in what could possibly the toughest outing for his side in this year’s UEFA Champions League.
His pedigree on and off the ball is believed to be the catalyst behind Monaco playing free-flowing football as he helps other resources concentrate on their attacking duties and for Monaco attack to get their act together against the likes of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, Fabinho will need to continue with his excellent work in the middle of the park.