Champions League: Juventus Seeks Comeback vs. Atletico Madrid, Man City Looks to Hold Off Schalke

Juventus will need to mount a comeback in order to advance past Atletico Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16, as the Italian side faces a 2-0 deficit as they prepare to host the second leg of the round on Tuesday.

A 2-0 win at home would get Juventus to extra time and a potential shootout, while the club would need to win by three goals to advance straight to the quarterfinals.

Ronaldo: ‘Anything Can Happen’

Aided by the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus was seen as one of the favorites to win the Champions League this season. But even for a great team, a two goal deficit is a mountain to climb, especially without an away goal to fall back on in case of a tie in the aggregate score.

But while the first leg in Spain may have gone poorly for Juventus, Ronaldo says that the squad can still go through if they put in a quality performance on Tuesday.

“We didn’t expect to lose the first leg 2-0, but anything can happen, and we want to give a great response in our home, in front of our fans,” Ronaldo told Juventus TV. “These are the great night, the fantastic ones: the Champions League nights.”

The challenge for Juventus is that Atletico is one of the strongest defensive teams in Europe, making a two goal gap even harder to close.

“Everyone knows they are a strong team, they defend very well, they don’t take a lot of risks and they play on the counterattack,” Ronaldo said. “But we are ready, and we will do everything we can to beat them.”

Ronaldo is clearly the most recognizable name for Juventus, but Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone made a point of telling reporters that he wasn’t the only dangerous player on the Italian squad.

“You can’t just talk about Ronaldo,” Simeone said. “Juventus are a great team with top players who are used to fighting important battles and are very strong in defense.”

Oddsmakers see Juventus as a favorite to win their home match, but going through to the quarterfinals is another story. At William Hill, Atletico’s two-goal lead makes them a 2/7 pick to advance, while Juventus can be backed at 5/2 odds.

Manchester City Expected to Finish Off Struggling Schalke

The odds are nowhere near that close in Tuesday’s other Champions League match, where Manchester City is widely expected to advance against Schalke 04. Man City brings a 3-2 lead into the second leg, which they will host on Tuesday.

Schalke’s problems go far beyond trailing by a goal heading into the match, however. While the team qualified for the Champions League, they now find themselves in 14th place in the Bundesliga, just four points out of the relegation zone. Those results have put manager Domenico Tedesco on the hot seat, with Schalke sporting director Jochen Schneider saying Tedesco only has two more games to prove himself worthy of the job.

“This is not a pleasure trip,” Schneider told AFP. “The anticipation is overshadowed by the situation in the Bundesliga.”

Meanwhile, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said his team must be guarded against complacency against a dangerous Schalke side, especially in what has been an unpredictable Champions League so far.

“OK, we are favorites, but in one game anything can happen,” Guardiola told reporters. “United showed incredible character with 10 players out injured. PSG are 20 points in front in their league, nobody expected it. Ajax went to Madrid [and won 4-1]. Everything is open.”

But while City may have work to do, few believe they will actually cough up their lead. Schalke is a 25/1 underdog to advance, with William Hill offering only 1/200 odds on Man City to go through to the quarterfinals.