UCL Semifinals (Leg 2) - Tuesday/Wednesday
If the second legs of the UEFA Champions League semifinal round mirror half of what we saw in the first leg, then we as fans are in for a rollercoaster ride heading into Berlin’s final on June 6th.
Juventus to most of the watching audience’s surprise, came out early and went straight for the Real Madrid jugular. They were compact, organized and fast as they looked to counter from Los Blancos attacks and took advantage of some shoddy Real defending. Dani Carvajal and Rafael Varane were the main culprits as Carlos Tevez terrorized them for much of the match and it seems like Carlo Ancelotti’s experiment of fielding Sergio Ramos in the midfield could be coming to an end as Real will definitely need a more solid defensive performance in the second leg if they are to rebound and book a ticket in their second consecutive final.
Meanwhile, in Barcelona, we saw the breathtaking magician that is Lionel Messi at his very best. Pep Guardiola decided he would try and line up man-to-man against his former club and it nearly proved to be a disaster early on with Manuel Neuer providing some heroics on Luis Suarez. As the game progressed, Bayern became more organized and pragmatic which likely had them feeling good as the game stalled 0-0…that is until the last 13 minutes when Lionel Messi put on an absolute show and Pep’s return to the Camp Nou unraveled in the span of less than a quarter hour. Messi scored two of the most stunning goals you will see as he left the Bayern defensive unit in tatters and for good measure virtually ended the tie as he set up Neymar for the third just before the final whistle. Bayern fans must have been left wondering if they still had a chance of overturning a 2-0 deficit at home however the third will likely to prove to be the dagger that sends Bayern crashing at the semifinal stage for a second year in a row.
Ernestiko previews the two second legs and what to watch for when constructing DraftKings lineups.
Tuesday – Bayern Munich (0) vs. Barcelona (3)
It goes without saying that Bayern have a titantic and virtually impossible task in overturning the 3-0 deficit in front of their home crowd at the Allianz Arena. Having to chase the game not only against a side that has conceded one goal for the better part of two months but also one that can unleash a forward line of Messi, Suarez and Neymar is a recipe for disaster for Pep Guardiola and his Bayern men. All indications (Pep rarely strays from his philosophical views on how he wants to see the game played) are that Bayern will do as they did in the first leg which is press high up the pitch with a high defensive line and attempt to bully Barca defenders and midfielders into mistakes that can lead to quick fire goals. Given the way Barca have played the last few months, it’s impossible to envision them conceding more than one goal especially with Bayern missing their two wide attacking men, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery. As Bayern look to pour pressure forward it perfectly sets up the likes of Lionel Messi and Ivan Rakitic to deliver deft little dink passes over the top to one of their world class forwards. Suarez gave the Bayern back line fits in Barcelona and should be favored to do so once again.
Conclusion: As many said in the aftermath of the first leg, Pep Guardiola tried to “out Barca, Barca” in his tactics and it just wasn’t enough to keep the best player in the world (all time?) at bay. It’s a shame that Bayern haven’t been at full strength but with Barca having nine out of ten toes in the final, I expect for them to not only advance to Berlin’s final with ease but also win the second leg in Germany.
Five to Watch: Lionel Messi ($11,500), Luis Suarez ($8,900), Dani Alves ($5,700), Robert Lewandowski ($7,500), Marc Andre Ter Stegen ($4,700)
Wednesday – Real Madrid (1) vs. Juventus (2)
If Barcelona/Bayern Munich was last week’s headliner, the tie on a knife edge this week will certainly be played in Madrid. By many accounts, Real are lucky to only be facing a one goal deficit as they try to mount one of their famous European comebacks that became habitual in the 1970s and 1980s. It is without question that Juventus were the better side last week and the Italians will be boosted by the return of superstar midfielder, Paul Pogba, to the lineup last weekend. Real get an injury boost of their own as Karim Benzema will likely return to the team allowing Carlo Ancelotti to revert to a 4-3-3 formation and the BBC frontline of Bale, Benzema and Cristiano. Which brings us to the Madrid midfield…if Ancelotti does opt for the aforementioned attacking frontline, the center of the pitch will likely feature Toni Kroos, Isco and James Rodriguez. Certainly a ton of creativity and attacking prowess, but not a whole lot of braun and defensive work which could lead to Real’s demise. Both Juventus goals in the first leg can largely be blamed on bad Real Madrid positioning, particularly in central midfield and central defense. The Real Madrid back four will have to turn in the best performance of their season if they are to punch their ticket to a second consecutive final. Los Blancos, unfortunately for them, have not been known to keep clean sheets this campaign and we know how the saying goes regarding Italian teams protecting a one goal cushion. An early Madrid goal would calm nerves throughout the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, while Madrid castoff Alvaro Morata or Carlos Tevez could pop up to create a very somber evening in the Spanish capital.
Conclusion: Real have had a hellish run of games the past few weeks. Not only did they have the Italian champions on their mind, they also had to travel to Sevilla and host Valencia in the league just to keep within striking distance of Barcelona. The loss of Luka Modric continues to be felt in the Madrid team at the most crucial part of the season and frankly it’s tough to confidently predict Real keeping Juve out of the back of the net. Real certainly has the quality to book their ticket to the final but something leads one to believe they will need more than one goal on Wednesday night. Can they get it against a tough and organized Juventus with leaders like Gianluigi Buffon and Andrea Pirlo dying to get back to the Champions League Final? It will be fun to watch.
Five to Watch: Cristiano Ronaldo ($11,800), James Rodriguez ($8,100), Paul Pogba ($4,900), Carlos Tevez ($7,900), Marcelo ($6,100)