This Champions League tie represented a bit of a dichotomy when it was drawn, with a consistent power atop Serie A drawn with a side expected to challenge in the Bundesliga but has done little but disappoint this season. That difference pretty well describes how the first leg between Juventus and Borussia Dortmund played out in Italy, with Dortmund looking very good -- aside from two bad defensive breakdowns that gave the Bianconeri the lead.
Borussia Dortmund vs. Juventus, Champions League 2015: Start time, TV schedule and team news
The defending Italian champions have an injury list as long as your arm, but must hold their one-goal lead away from home to advance to the Champions League quarter finals.
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Now with the crowd of the Westfalenstadion behind them, one of the loudest and most supportive in Europe, Dortmund will be doing all they can to avoid those mistakes and force Juventus in to a few of their own. This has all the ability to be a truly fantastic match that goes down to the finish, but if Dortmund slip again it could get awfully one-sided in a hurry.
Key player - Claudio Marchisio (Juventus)
With Andrea Pirlo out, Marchisio will be given the responsibility of being the deepest midfielder for Juventus in this match no matter what formation they go with. He hasn't been as steady on the ball this season as normal, so if Marchisio struggles in possession that could be very bad for the Italians. If he does well, though, he can drive Juve forward in ways that Pirlo normally doesn't offer them, which gives Dortmund a different and difficult tactical wrinkle to deal with.
Key Matchup - Neven Subotic (Borussia Dortmund) vs. Carlos Tevez (Juventus)
On his day, Subotic is a very good defender. However, he’s also a bit slow-footed and struggles trying to defend trickier forwards one-on-one. That’s something that Dortmund’s opponents have regularly exploited in the last couple of years, and the German side has had issues compensating for it. With Carlos Tevez representing one of the trickiest strikers around, that means Subotic will have to be at his absolute best to avoid costing Dortmund the match and the tie.
Borussia Dortmund injuries and suspensions
Out: Kevin Großkreutz (hamstring), Łukasz Piszczek (ankle) In doubt: Matthias Ginter (thigh), Nuri Şahin (groin)
Juventus injuries and suspensions
Out: Andrea Pirlo (calf), Martin Caceres (ankle), Paolo De Ceglie (knee), Stefano Sturaro (ankle), Romulo (groin - removed from squad), Kwadwoh Asamoah (knee - removed from squad)
Juventus are battered right now, but luckily most of their injuries are to backups and rotational players they can live without. The exception, of course, is Pirlo, whose absence will be keenly felt, especially on set pieces. For Dortmund, the losses of Großkreutz and Piszczek take away their best two right backs, and while Juve don’t operate with traditional wingers, they’ll certainly be looking to take advantage of that weakness in any way they can.
Match Date/Time: Wednesday, 3:45 p.m. ET, 8:45 p.m. local
Venue: Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany
TV: Fox Sports 2 (U.S. - English), Fox Deportes (U.S. - Spanish), Sportsnet World (Canada), Sky Sport 1/HD, Sky Sport 2/HD (Germany), Canale 5 (Italy), Sky Sport 1/HD (U.K.)
Online: Fox Soccer 2GO (U.S.), Sportsnet World Now (Canada), Sky Go Deutschland (Germany), Sky Go Italia (Italy), Sky Go (U.K.)
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