Two-time European champion Juventus is beginning to emerge as a force on the international stage once again. A spot in the Champions league semi-finals for the first time since 2003 would go a long way to reinforcing that notion. Juventus will face Monaco on Wednesday in the first leg of the quarterfinals. Juventus has a realistic chance of ending a 19-year wait for Champions league success, something which appeared to be in the distant future after it was eliminated from the group stage last year. Here are some things to know about Tuesday’s match:
MONACO TRAVElS WEll
Juventus might have its fantastic home form to count on, but Monaco will be relying on its impressive recent run on the road. The French team is looking for a third straight away victory in the Champions league and has conceded only two goals in four away games this season. Monaco recorded an impressive 3-1 win at Arsenal in the round of 16 but then lost 2-0 at home in the second leg, progressing on away goals.
“It’s an unpredictable team to be treated with caution, because it is really difficult to understand the type of beast it is,” Gianluigi Buffon said.
TEVEZ: WE CAN WIN IT
Despite being without the injured Andrea Pirlo and losing Paul Pogba early on, Juventus followed up a 2-1 win at home with an impressive 3-0 victory in Germany against Borussia Dortmund to progress to the quarterfinals.
It was the ease with which they swept away Dortmund which has forward Carlos Tevez, who won the Champions league title with Manchester United in 2008. “Juventus can win the Champions league,” Tevez said in an interview with Italian national newspaper la Repubblica. The match against Dortmund showed that we can get far. It all depends on us. Juventus can beat anyone and we showed that.
TOUlAlAN HOPE
Monaco will be hoping key midfielder Jeremy Toulalan will be fully fit for Tuesday’s match. Toulalan had to be substituted early in the second half of Friday’s win at Caen after picking up a left thigh injury and it was feared the former France international had tweaked a muscle but he was running again by Sunday.
He has been included in the squad for the trip to Italy, as has defender Ricardo Carvalho, who also went off injured against Caen.