Champions League fixtures preview: Bayern vs Juventus

The European football world awaits the most exciting clash in the Champions League quarterfinals that pits Bayern Munich against Juventus.

Two biggest clubs in Europe clash on Tuesday in Munich as Bayern host the first leg of the fixture. The Old Lady come to Germany on an 18-match unbeaten run in all European tournaments and after a vital win over rivals Inter Milan that made their 29th Serie A trophy much closer. Overall Juve played five games in March and won four of them playing in a draw only against Napoli.

Bayern feel even more comfortable in the domestic championship staying 20 points above the second-placed Borussia Dortmund as the team won their last four games including the humiliation of Hamburg on Saturday 9-2. Bayern are determined to take the title of the German league from Dortmund after losing the competition to Jürgen Klopp’s men two years in a row.

The home leg is extremely important for the Germans. The team will play without Spanish midfielder Javi Martinez who is suspended for one match in the competition. Holger Badstuber is ruled out as he sustained an injury in December and will return in the early summer. The losses will not influence the game dramatically as the main competition between the sides will take place in the midfield with both teams possessing starry players in the zones.

The Germans look better from that point. The squad combines a roster of top-level German internationals with several foreign superstars namely Franck Ribéry, Arjen Robben and Mario Mandžukić. Juventus can boast of their defense line as the back three of Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini forming the basis of Conte’s 3-5-2 formation have been impeccable in Europe this season having not conceded a goal in the last five Champions League games.

Juve are considered a resurging force in Europe after years of absence while Bayern are keen to clinch the Champions League trophy after losing two out of three latest finals of the competition including last year’s disappointing defeat to Chelsea.