UEFA Champions League 2017/18: Juventus vs Real Madrid - 5 key player battles
The stage is set for a heavyweight battle between two European giants as Juventus and Real Madrid prepare to write another chapter in their famous Champions League rivalry. The two teams last met in the 2016/17 season final where Real Madrid emerged 4-1 victors on the night.
Revenge will be on Juventus' minds tomorrow for the first leg in Turin. Meanwhile, Real Madrid will be aiming to take some sort of advantage back to the Bernabeu for the second leg with a solid display at the Allianz Stadium. This is also Madrid's only hope of silverware this season.
Both sides have always had some of the top players in the world which has always made this fixture a treat for the spectators and tomorrow will be no different.
In this segment, we will take a look at the key player battles that will shape the game and will decide the outcome of this big quarterfinal encounter between Juventus and Real Madrid:
#5 Juan Cuadrado vs Marcelo
Juventus have received a huge boost in the form of Juan Cuadrado who has been passed fit to start against Real Madrid. This may not be music to the ears of Marcelo who will now have the job of marking the Colombian and keeping him under wraps.
Marcelo has been an integral member of this Real Madrid side but is known to overcommit at times and is found wanting in defensive transitions. Cuadrado will be looking to take advantage of this situation and catch the left back off guard to make use of his blistering pace.
Marcelo will have to be at his defensive best against the winger whose end product has improved in recent times. Cuadrado also has an impressive work rate and will be looking to track Marcelo's runs going forward. This will be an interesting duel to watch and will determine which team gets to dominate this side of the flank.