Quick-fire reaction to Juve reaching the Champions league Semi-Finals

By tdf, April 24, 2015

Our goal was to re-establish ourselves as a top 8 side in Europe. This has been achieved. Perhaps not at a canter in the last stage, but Monaco have only one way to play and in the first leg we worked damn hard for the goal leaving us able to play Monaco at their own game in France.

Tevez, Morata and Vidal, three of our most important players were sick. Pogba missing. Pirlo still rusty. And yet we hardly gave our opponents a sniff on their home turf. The difference Barzagli has made to our rearguard as a whole cannot be understated. We have conceded just one goal in the last ten games. Which is a phenomenal record at any level. Barzagli has featured prominently in 7 of those games.

As for potential opponents…clearly Munich we must hope are avoided. The Germs can falter once in a blue moon, as they did in Porto, yet never twice in quick succession. I would rather meet them in the final, if we make it that far, and hope we catch them on an off-day. Yet that blue moon has likely passed for another year or three!

Barca will cause us more problems than Madrid, yet both spanish sides have a weaker defence than Juve. It will be the finest attacks in the game against perhaps the finest defence in the business.

The greatest bonus of making it through to the semis is that Pogba will return. His world class talent negates the need for Pirlo to play and especially in our home leg we will be better off deploying the more dynamic 4-3-1-2 with Pogba-Marchiso-Vidal behind Pereyra and the Tevez-Morata tandem. None of the teams left in the competition naturally play defensively. There will be chances and the games will be decided by who is more potent in the final third.

My ideal opponent would be Madrid. Morata has a point to prove. And we can reprise the glorious battles of yesteryear. I also think they are the team we are set up to stand the best chance against.

Regardless of the results that come we have returned to the upper echelons of the european elite. Barca, Real and Munchen are better sides and have much stronger squads. I would also put Chelsea above us.

After which we are now part of the secondary group hanging onto their coat-tails. With Atleti (who I like for their industry and spirit) and the billionaire toy club of PSG. Arsenal are also there or thereabouts, although lack the steel needed for consistency across a season at the top level.

I hope this is the dawn of more consistent appearances in the champions league knock-out stages. Anything beyond what we have already achieved is a welcome bonus.