Wednesday night's main event in the Champions League, will see the European champions entertain the Italian champions at Stamford Bridge. Juventus and Chelsea, are teams capable of being in Europe's elite competition for the long haul this season; and although this is only the first game for both clubs, it will give an early indication how many miles each club will chalk up, travelling around the continent during the 2012/13 season. Whilst Juventus want to rise to prominence once again, Chelsea want to cement their position in European football. Here are some of the key battles that will be fought when these two heavyweights of European football collide:
Andrea Pirlo vs. Juan Mata
The undoubted key to stopping Juve, is the nullification of the world's greatest regista - Andrea Pirlo. Since his arrival in Torino, the Italian international has had an Indian summer to his career. Outstanding in his first campaign in Turin, he boasted a league winner’s medal, a Euro 2012 silver medal and the most assists in Italy. His ability to dictate attacking moves 60 yards from goal, his set piece expertise and most incredibly, his ability to make passing seem like a virtue; have made "Mozart" once again, the most feared midfielder in the world. Roberto Di Matteo will likely start Juan Mata as Chelsea's trequartista against Juventus, because he will be more willing to hunt down Pirlo and attempt to stop the regista from controlling the game. If Mata is able to nullify the threat of Pirlo, in the same manner his fellow countrymen did in the Euro 2012 final, Chelsea's chances of winning on Wednesday night will be greatly increased.
Kwadwo Asamoah vs. Ramires
Two of the most tireless players in Europe will go head to head on Wednesday night, in the most physical bout on the British Isles since Karl Froch dismantled Lucian Bute in five rounds. Kwadwo Asamoah and Ramires have both been in outstanding form over the past six months, and seem to be going from strength to strength each week. Although Asamoah and Ramires' preferred position is the centre of the ring, they brawl in the wide areas during the game. The key to victory in this battle may be the presence of Ivanovic helping Ramires in his battle. Although Asamoah is capable of defeating Ramires, a lack of support on the left hand side may leave the former Udinese man facing an uphill task.
Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal vs. Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel
The mobile vs. the immobile; the great vs. the rather average; the rising stars vs. the dwindling powers... it's fair to say that this tag team bout has the potential to be a non-contest. Juventus' dynamic duo of Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal are two of the best in the business, as powerful going forward as they are in the tackle; their importance to La Vecchia Signora is unquantifiable. Chelsea's midfield will likely lack the grinta neccessary to stop the MVP midfield from stealing the limelight on Wednesday night; the fact that Lampard and Mikel have never played against a midfield with this amount of passion and energy, could be their downfall. With a cog missing in this intricate midfield machine, Juve are nowhere near effective in both attack and defence, something that was evident against Genoa on Sunday afternoon. Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel will be praying that one member of this tag team picks up a training injury, or they have a game to forget; to even give them a hope of winning the midfield battle.
Andrea Barzagli, Georgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci vs. Fernando Torres
Over the past 18 months, a large price tag has loomed over the head of Fernando Torres. A measly 15 goals for Chelsea so far, has not endeared the Spainiard to the King's Road faithful; but Chelsea's opening fixture of their Champions League could be a great opportunity for Torres to finally justify the £50 million spent on his talents. The backline of Andrea Barzagli, Georgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci created a near impenetrable wall last season, but during Euro 2012, one striker caused this three man defence a substantial amount of problems. El Nino's ability to float around the penalty area, means that Juve's defence will struggle to man mark him, and bully him into submission. A karma copy of Torres' famous last minute clincher at the Nou Camp would not be a surprise either in this game. Against Napoli in the Supercoppa and at Genoa on Sunday; Juve's backline were caught out due to their use of a self-destructively highline. This problem will need to be addressed by Conte for his side may come up against a Chelsea using the siege formation.
Mirko Vucinic vs. John Terry
Although Juventus' search for a "top player" for the Champions League ended in dissapointment, in a certain Montenegren with shorts on his head… Juve may already have one. Mirko Vucinic's recent form, has made him a player for which the Juventini can bestow a lot of faith upon. The introduction of the number 9 against Genoa, showed Vucinic's importance to his side. He is tailor-made for the 3-5-2 that Conte uses, as its adoption and change in fortunes for the Montenegren's direct correlation clearly suggests. His unpredictability, may frustrate at times, but it also has the ability to tie John Terry in knots; a player who is much more comfortable marking a hulking, non-technical and predictable striker.
