Champions League Quarterfinals Day 1: What You Need To Know
By Ty Duffy
The Champions League quarterfinals kick off this afternoon. Real Madrid faces Atletico Madrid on Fox Sports 1 at 2:45. Juventus faces AS Monaco on Fox Sports 2 (which allegedly exists) at 2:45. For those just tuning in, here’s a quick #narrative primer.
Familiarity breeds contempt… The two Madrid rivals have become quite familiar over the past year. Real Madrid won last year’s Champions League Final 4-1 in extra time. But, since, Atletico Madrid have had the upper hand. The Rojiblancos won 2-1 over two legs in the Spanish Super Cup. They won 2-1 at Real in the league and 4-0 at home. Atletico also edged them 4-2 over two legs in the Copa Del Rey. These quarterfinals matches will be their seventh and eighth meetings this season. They will be the only two that matter.
Faded Glory… Either Juventus or As Monaco will reach the semifinal. Neither has since 2004. Juventus reached four Champions League finals between 1996 and 2003. This is only their second time reaching the quarterfinals since, after being sanctioned and relegated in 2006 for their role in the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal. AS Monaco reached the semifinals twice, in 1994 and 1998, and lost the 2004 final to FC Porto. Since, the club has been mired by instability and relegated to Ligue 2. But, with an infusion of Russion billionaire capital, they are back in the Champions League for the first time since 2005.
Pogba No, Pirlo Yes… Paul Pogba is a dynamic 22-year-old box to box midfielder, the most credible “Next Zidane” to emerge for the French national team and a probable $100 million-plus transfer target this summer. He’s out with a hamstring injury suffered against Dortmund in the first knockout round. However, the smoothest man in the soccer universe Andrea Pirlo appears to be playing. How effective he can be after missing seven weeks with a thigh injury at 35 remains to be a seen, though he barely exceeds a light jog when fit.
Defense Wins Championships? AS Monaco had the best defensive record in the group stage, allowing one goal. Atletico Madrid allowed just one goal in its last seven Champions League matches. Juventus has allowed only one goal in its last seven competitive matches, resting most of their starters in a 1-0 loss to Parma last weekend.
Offense Wins Championships? Counterpoint: Real Madrid has scored 92 goals in 31 league matches. They have scored two or more goals in six of eight Champions League matches this season. They have scored 14 in their last three 3 matches, including a 9-1 beatdown of Granada. Their probable starting XI for this one includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez.
Underwear Updates: Cristiano Ronaldo unveiled his underwear to the entire western world. He recently provided an earth-shattering update about microfibers. Though, this gem from 2013 remains the defining Cristiano Ronaldo underwear-related tweet.
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