UCL QUARTEFINALS 2ND LEGS: EPIC SHOWDOWNS & WE GIVE YOU THE LOWDOWN

      WHAT IS THAT SOUND????
      IT'S LIKE A CHOIR OF SIREN ON THE RIVER STYX...WHAT THE HELL?? IT'S...IT'S....
       THE CHAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMPIONS....
THE CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAMPIONS!
       IT IS HERE....

      The 2nd legs of this year's Champions League quarterfinals are upon us, and just like last year's crazy come from behind win by Roma over Barca, this year's 2nd leg comeback and stunning 4-1 away victory by Ajax over Real Madrid, we won't have any clue what to expect other than fantastic football and everything being laid on the line to advance.
        Will City come back from the 1-0 first leg defeat with their Gala XI featuring the recently injured Kevin De Bruyne, Benjamin Mendy Bernardo Silva and the forgotten (by Pep) figure of Leroy Sane all on the pitch at the same time for the first instance this season?
        Can Spurs keep them at bay in yet another match without Harry Kane?

Could they possibly outscore City without him???
        Will Barcelona continue their quest to the Champions League final for the first time since 2015? Will Ousmane Dembele be fit enough to start? Or will they fall again in the quarterfinals for the 4th season running?
          Could Ajax take down Juventus without Frenkie De Jong?
          We tell you the diagnosis, we give you the details, the storylines and the realities, all here coming up.

BARCA V UNITED 

        Barcelona fans feel excited...they should be: the La Liga title is wrapped up and fear of a Messi injury in a worthless match has gone to the wayside as Valverde finally favors responsible rotation and the Catalans have a 1 goal lead going into a 2nd leg at home with Messi and Dembele fit and firing. 
        As a Cule myself, it is hard to remain objective when doing articles on Barcelona, yet I try to cover my club fairly and accurately....however, I am more excited than I can bear. 
REVENGE OF ROMA: 1 YEAR LATER

       This is a match us Barca fans have waited a year for...there is revenge on our minds if you've been paying attention...I took it personally when my club, our club was humiliated in front of the world against Roma, sent out there to fail and hung out to dry by Valverde.
         It surely won't and it can't happen if Barca are to advance, let alone take home the Champions League.

Valverde has already prepared his squad in much better fashion than that debacle against Roma, where Messi and Suarez looked ten timed more gassed than they did in the 1st leg vs United. 
       And thanks to the minor rotations, this 2nd leg will be far more open, entertaining and attacking than the 1st leg, although only for one club.
       Barcelona's core will have had a match day's rest over the weekend (thank you Valverde, finally!) and will have listened to the criticism of their passing-obsessed 1st leg performance,

where the Catalan club found themselves using the ball as a defensive shield from the speed and agility of the United counter, almost sitting on the ball at times as it would get sent to the corner of the pitch for Alba to rest with.

VALVERDE FINALLY ROTATED 

       The Barca starters looked gassed by the time the final whistle blew in the 1st leg, and it's about time Barca manager Ernesto Valverde finally rested the lot of them for a match, and of course, Barcelona were fine when he did this weekend, letting such future stars as Moussa Wague, Jean-Claire Todibo and Riqui Puig make their La Liga debuts and controlling Huesca for 90 minutes and settling for a weird draw, but it was at least a finely played draw.
        The mostly meaningless Huesca match served a few fantastic purposes though, becoming an official in-match warm-up for Ousmane Dembele's

impending (and much needed) return and a proving-ground for Samuel Umtiti's health.
         The two best friends (and 2018  French World Cup teammates) both left the match in magnificent condition, as Dembele was an inch from scoring a sublime goal and also set up 3 glorious chances; Umtiti was calm on the ball, launching accurate long balls up the wings and showing absolutely no signs of the trouble his knees have wrought on him the last calendar year.
           Wow....we've only been screaming for Valverde to do this type of rotation for his entire tenure...

and look how much it's already helped the squad?
           Why are rotations like this so crucial for Barca's squad, or really any squad for that matter? 
           Not only do you rest your best, you then provide competitive balance in the team, with Samuel Umtiti raising his level (no doubt) when each and every one of Jean-Claire Todibo's 8 tackles were completed, and no doubt Coutinho knew what he needed to do to regain his spot as he came on to the pitch for the final 26 minutes to relieve Ousmane Dembele, a player who kicks Coutinho

right out of the team immediately upon returning.
           It is completely possible for this Barcelona side to become even more impossible to beat the lesser they play in the final stretch, as the benefits (this specific club) get from rotations such as we saw against Huesca are obvious.
          It's the complete opposite to last year's idiotic plans when Valverde had no problem starting and playing Suarez, Pique, Alba, Busquets and Umtiti in a worthless match vs Leganes, tiring and draining them on the cusp of the 2nd leg vs Roma...sadly, that match was also in the cauldron of Rome's Stadio Olympico...something Valverde hadn't even considered. 
          The worthless matches, the unnecessary minutes, the injuries nobody had time to recover from, the bad tactical balance...the absence of Ousmane Dembele....all of this caused Barcelona to allow 3 goals to Roma and get knocked out on their ass in frenetic fashion. 

             But right now it's looking completely the opposite of that awful defeat last campaign, with Umtiti's improved health making him a viable option once again, instead of the only other defender Barca have to rely upon; Clement Lenglet has been incredible for Valverde, blocking two goal-gaping shots against Lyon and Tottenham, producing stalwart defensive performances in Umtiti's absence all season (Lenglet is easily the transfer steal of the last five years). In fact, the player he's replacing is healthy yet still won't be budging out of his starting spot for this match.

Dembele is actually  being utilized and his impact on the team hasn't gone unnoticed this term; Coutinho is actually available this time as last year against Roma the Brazilian was cup tied. And although Valverde has started Messi, Suarez, Pique, Busquets, Alba and Rakitic 86% of matches or more, he's resting his players at the right time. 

         Will it be too late to prevent hamstring or other muscle injuries due to wear and tear?
        If he keeps rotating, Barca may be lucky. 

UNITED STATE OF SOLSJKAER

         Meanwhile, Solsjkaer's United look awry, winning marginally over West Ham with 2 Pogba penalties, starting Marcos Rojo at left back in preparation for his potential start in place of the suspended Luke Shaw. 
         This is the area Barcelona must expose. 
         With Ousmane Dembele declared 100% fit and after 67 minutes of action under his belt, the Frenchman should look for the ball at all times

and Messi should gravitate towards him, with Nelson Semedo's (or Roberto's) useful overlapping runs giving even more space. 
         We saw Marcos Rojo exposed by Kylian Mbappe for an early penalty in the 2018 World Cup between France and Argentina, perhaps Dembele or Messi on the right could take advantage of the lack of pace from the Argentine center / left back. 
         There will be gaps in the United back four and it's up to the brilliant Arthur Melo and Busquets in midfield to carve them open. 

        United showed courage in their pressing at Old Trafford, McTominay and Fred looking violent and full of vinegar throughout, though hopefully for their sake they don't continue this naivete against Ousmane Dembele as part of the front three,

because this addition literally makes any ball over the top one pass away from a goal. 
       When you combine an abundance of pace and world class passing from almost every position on the pitch, you will get goals against a team

already down and desperate for an early away goal. 
          The first five minutes is where Barcelona or United can either win or lose the tie: United will press like hungry animals at the first whistle while in search of that early goal ala the 2nd leg against PSG

where they forced a Thilo Kherer error on a back pass that sent Lukaku through on goal and United on their way to a crazy come from behind victory.
         Barcelona must not let this happen. This is where instead of holding on to the ball like a safety net in the first minutes, the Catalan club should

suck the press in and then distribute to the wings where the speed and the space will be and attack with midfield runners to add enough complexity to proceedings that United simply can't cope.
        They won't either. 

MESSI WANTS BLOOD 

        Lionel Messi has had enough of this quarterfinal scoring drought, sick of not having a single goal to his name since the 2013 UCL quarterfinals against PSG (he's scored in other rounds, too including the 2015 semifinals vs Bayern). 
        Since then, against Atletico (x2), Juventus in 2017, and despite creating two own goals vs Roma, he has been shut out and Barcelona,

consequently, haven't made it through to the semifinals since the treble winning season of 2015.
         With Ousmane Dembele's peak powers at hand, Lionel Messi doesn't have to score for Barcelona to advance to the next round, but he will get his goal.

PREDICTION 
         Messi will rampage down the right wing, cutting inside and leaving a gap to the right open for an Ousmane Dembele run from the left, center or right to make space for Alba's runs up the left in attack. Messi will feed him

and Dembele will take a touch, hesitate and then feed it right back to his captain for the opening goal inside 10 minutes. 
          Barcelona will dominate possession and wait out the intense United press and by the 35th minute,  Messi will go running again down the throat of United and spray it wide to Alba, this time the Catalan left back will cross it in for Luis Suarez to grab his first Champions league goal of the campaign, laying his left foot out to stroke it through

the confused and (at this point) enraged De Gea.  
         United grows into the 2nd half,  with a few good shots but nothing on target as they struggle to grab any sustained possession. This forward thrust will expose their back line, with Ousmane Dembele racing down the left after a turnover in possession created by Rakitic and the World Cup winner crosses beautifully for Messi to volley into the net with his right, giving Barca it's 3rd goal and 4th on aggregate.
          Manchester United get a red card after Dembele goes on another run, turning Rojo (or even Ashley Young) inside out and forcing a last ditch tackle, with the Argentine unlucky to be sent off for a professional foul. 

       In the resulting play, Dembele quickly lays off a through ball to Suarez who bashes it into the net, ending a statement victory for the Catalan giants and sending United out of the Champions League, 5-0 on aggregate.

PREDICTION:
4-0
(5-0 on aggregate)
(Messi x2 , Suarez x2 )
- Alba 1 assist, Dembele 3 assists 

CITY V TOTTENHAM 

           City will be desperate to grab an early goal in the 2nd leg at the Etihad, bristling with the possibility of a come from behind quarterfinal victory, something that would be a major deal for City.
           Pep Guardiola's side hasn't advance through the quarterfinals since his arrival at the blue side of Manchester: being upset by Monaco when they had Mbappe and getting destroyed by Liverpool last season.
            But if Benjamin Mendy (who looked fit and alright on the weekend) and Kevin De Bruyne can last 90+ minutes and at or near their optimum, City should advance. 
            Simply put,  
if Mendy is fit enough to go on runs down the left wing, freeing up Leroy Sane down that side in the process, the front six of City will have fun carving out chances against this rugged, tireless Tottenham XI.
             With Kevin De Bruyne

hitting 2 assists and 6 overall in this injury hit season he's endured and Mendy already has 6 assists on the season, we know the improvement, the width and (most critically) the space in attack those two weapons will bring.
            Raheem Sterling will profit most from these additions, offering the Englishman even more space to operate and a supply of fantastic passing for his runs in the box.

             But what about Sergio Aguero?
            Is he failing to reach his highest levels in the biggest of matches? 
            Everyone misses penalties, sure, but rarely do we see players as good as Aguero turning in on themselves, his confidence ruined in an instant. 
          If Guardiola had removed him from the match then and there after his missed penalty, it wouldn't have had a single impact on the outcome of the match.
             That's hard to say, and if City want to advance for the first time since 2016, they need to have Aguero firing...Aguero needs to get involved, better yet, he relies on players like Sane, Sterling and De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva all combining and then spraying it to him. Then, after a goal, Aguero drops deeper and combines and then runs in behind, creating an even more dangerous dimension to City's play.
             This is what needs to happen for Kun Aguero to succeed: an early goal, poacher-esque finish in the box, tapping in after a wonderful bit of play from the wide men. Then, he will drop deep and combine with the rest of the City attacking fleet and they'll be on to Tottenham like sharks covered in blood.
       City just can't lose this, right?

4-2 CITY 
(City advance 4-3 on aggregate)
(De Bruyne 1 goal and 1 assist)
(Benjamin Mendy 2 assists)
(Leroy Sane 2 goals and an assist)
(Aguero scores the match winner)

AJAX V JUVENTUS 

       Elsewhere, Ajax will look to take down yet another European giant when they square off against Juventus in Turin.
      Will it be the same stage as the theater of second leg away antics that sent them through the last round at the Bernabeu?
      Can they thrive off of this environment, without Frenkie De Jong and get through?
       You bet your ass they can.
       Welcome to the stage: 
Carel Eiting, 

the Ajax youth product and Dutch youth international, a player who's already becoming another midfield gem, pulling off 3 assists in a single match in the KNVB Beker (Dutch cup) at the age of 17.

        Not shabby at all. 
        The kid was dominant throughout, not to mention in his one appearance in the Champions League this season, Eiting posted 3 key passes, once again not too bad at all for a teenager in his first Champions league start.

        This will be the kid taking over for Frenkie De Jong if Erik Ten Hag were smart at all, if he wanted to maintain the pace, aggression in the press and possessive qualities and flow to the play that Frenkie provides, if he even wants an imitation of that, he's not going to get it from Lasse Schone alone. 
         Carel Eiting could easily best Rodrigo Bentancur in a midfield duel, but we'll also have to see if the suspended Tagliafico can be replaced adequately at left back by Daley Blind. 
        One thing we know, Hakim Ziyech and Dusan Tadic will look for goals and they'll get them.
        Ronaldo will score a header from a Cancelo cross, but it won't be enough. Ajax will win this one after an epic extra time battle.

PREDICTION:
2-1 AET
(2 goals from Tadic , 1 assist from Ziyech, 1 from Van De Beek)


Liverpool will close the door on Porto in rugged style with a 1-0 victory from a Mane assist to Henderson, in amongst the goals yet again.