Nobody thought the day would come. All hope seems lost when Barcelona were humiliated in a 4-0 defeat at PSG in the first leg of their round of 16 tie. However, the Catalans made history with a most memorable comeback and they are now posed to come against Italian champions Juventus for the quarter finals.
Barcelona’s 6-1 triumph over PSG was exceptional but it should be noted that Barca always seem to thrive in their home game compared to their away games. Attesting to this is the fact that they lost 3-1 away to Manchester City in the group stages and three out of their last five away game was a total disaster. It comes as no surprise that they always look forward to their home matches to recoup their loss.
That stunning comeback will forever be etched in UEFA Champions League history. Their incredible form at home is puts fear in the heart of their opponents. In just four home games this season, they notched up 21 goals, conceding just one. So no matter how humiliating their away game is, they are sure to get past it once in their forte.
They got an alarming 50 goals from their last 15 home champions League games with just seven concessions. The clash with Juventus will not be an easy one. The Italian have the Serie A in their sight and all of their attention would be riveted on winning the Champions League. Juventus’s growth in Europe this season have come gradually, beating all competition to the quarter-final.
Barcelona should be wary of Juventus as their strength also lies in their home game. 2013 was the last time Juve was defeated in an home game and they have won in the Serie A 18 times. They have continued to terrify opponent coming down to their forte as only Bayern Munich have gone to Turin and come back victorious since 2004. Juventus would not be willing to let Barcelona break their record in this tie.
Juventus conceded just twice in eight Champions League games this season and Lyon being the only club that got their name on the score-sheet in Italy. This quarter-final will be a tough one as none of the opposing club will give room for the other. Barca should take the second half very seriously as Juvenus are known for getting in most of their goals in the second half Lionel Messi, a top scorer who has netted 11 times, would have his side looking up to him for an amazing display, while Juventus can boast of ten players who have scored in the champions League this season.
Juventus have not been up to par in the Champions League this season but it is quite hard to imagine them conceding goal after goal like PSG. The Italian would need to put all their effort to win this first leg, but with Barcelona’s might at home, the future does not look too good for Juves in the Champions League.