First-leg flops Marcus Rashford and Sergio Busquets crucial as Barcelona host Man United

Sooraj Kamath - Writer 07:20 16/04/2019
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  • With just six goals being scored across four matches in the first leg of the quarter-final Champions League, it’s fair to say that the games are in fair balance and no team has a massive advantage over its opponent going into the second leg.

    In the games scheduled on Tuesday, Barcelona are tasked to defend a 1-0 away win against Manchester United and Juventus are favourites to defeat Ajax at home after a 1-1 draw at Amsterdam.

    We take a look at some of the players whose performance could decide the outcome of the ties.

    Barcelona – Sergio Busquets

    Sergio Busquets

    Sergio Busquets

    Sergio Busquets has been one of the most important players for Barcelona in the past decade. It’s no surprise that the Spanish giants have suffered heavily in midfield whenever the Spaniard has had an off-day.

    In the first leg, a Scott McTominay led United midfield suffocated Barcelona and pushed them very deep. The first few minutes of the second half were the hosts’ best period of time and it came as a result of some intense pressing and crucial interceptions in midfield.

    Usually press resistant and a good passer of the ball, Busquets had one of his worst games of the season. He was not reacting well to the United press and was under-hitting his passes.

    In fact, Barcelona were lucky to not conceded in the first half, especially with Busquets committing some careless mistakes.

    United are most likely to press from the word go in the second leg and the Spaniard’s performance can shape the nature of the game.

    Whether Busquets repeats his performance from the first leg or gets his mojo back can definitely affect the outcome of the match.

    Manchester United – Marcus Rashford

    Rashford

    It’s not likely that the visitors will be creating a plethora of chances at the Camp Nou. There major source of shots will be achieved through counter-attacks.

    Hence, Marcus Rashford will have to strike with caution, knowing that shots from promising areas on the pitch are a luxury.

    He needs to be alert and poach on any mistakes from the Barcelona back-line. He failed to do the same in the first leg and ultimately, that proved to be a massive talking point.

    The Englishman’s pace will come handy in counters and his ability to combine with Paul Pogba has the potential to make the night a memorable one for United.

    The forward was lacklustre in the first leg. Will he be able to assert himself and make the difference at the Camp Nou? He does have the talent, but he needs it to combine well with confidence and a winning mentality.

    Juventus – Joao Cancelo

    Joao Cancelo

    Joao Cancelo

    Of Course the focus will be on Cristiano Ronaldo who has been a scoring machine in the knockout rounds of the Champions League. The Portuguese had scored Juventus’ only goal at Amsterdam through a brilliant power header.

    However, Joao Cancelo could be the player you would want to keep your eyes on in this crucial fixture. The right-back will encounter mixed challenges in defence and in attack.

    In defence, he will be tasked to keep David Neres – who scored an impressive solo goal in the first leg – at bay. This could turn out to be a key-battle in this close tie.

    In attack, Cancelo will be up against Daley Sinkgraven. With Nicolas Tagliafico serving suspension, the Portuguese will be relishing the prospect of the increased freedom on the wing.

    With all due respect to second-choice Sinkgraven, he is no Tagliafico and is susceptible to Cancelo and Federico Bernardeschi devouring him, hunting in pairs.

    Cancelo needs to find the balance between attack and defence. If he does, Juventus could be well on their way to the semis.

    Ajax – Kasper Dolberg

    Kasper Dolberg

    Kasper Dolberg

    Having conceded an away goal to Juventus, Ajax need to score at least one goal to stay alive in the tournament. Kasper Dolberg will be looking to provide the visitors the edge at Turin.

    Frenkie de Jong suffered an injury during Ajax’s league engagement against Excelsior and is doubtful to start in the second leg.

    This means that Donny van de Beek could drop deep into the double pivot to partner Lasse Schone. Dusan Tadic is likely to drop into the number 10 role and have Dolberg take his position as the number nine.

    The 21-year-old has scored 11 goals and assisted twice in the Eredivisie this season despite featuring in the starting line-up just 14 times.

    In the Champions League, the Denmark international has failed to score or assist a single goal despite playing 230 minutes.

    Goals are the need of the hour for Ajax and Dolberg must render these stats meaningless by dropping a master-class. His performance can have a huge bearing on the result of the game.

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