Monaco will meet Juventus in the semifinals of the Champions League, starting May 3 in Monaco. Here’s what to expect in the tie.
Nobody thought back in September that Monaco could win the Champions League. It wasn’t a surprise that bookmakers set their odds at 250/1. They went out at the group stage of the Europa League last season, and finished third in Ligue 1. They’ve taken the Champions League by storm in 2016-17, winning plenty of admirers along the way.
Juventus will shortly win their sixth Serie A title in a row, and reached the Champions League final in 2014-15. They knocked Monaco out at the quarterfinal stage that season, by winning 1-0 at home and drawing 0-0 away. This year’s matchup promises to be far more entertaining.
How did they get here?
After knocking out Manchester City in the second round, Monaco traveled to Germany for a quarterfinal match with Borussia Dortmund. The match was postponed due to an incident involving the German side’s team bus, though, and Monaco won the delayed match 3-2 the following day.
The French side attacked superbly across the tie, scoring six times while missing four clear-cut chances. It would be fully understandable if the minds of the Dortmund players were elsewhere at the time, though.
Monaco were regular European semifinalists in the 1990s, including a meeting with Juventus which the Italian side won in 1998. Their most recent one was in 2003-04, when they knocked out Chelsea before losing the Champions League final to Porto. They currently lead Ligue 1 so could be on the brink of a truly remarkable campaign.
Juventus got through their quarterfinal by putting the tie beyond Barcelona in the first hour by scoring three times. The Catalan giants may have famously bounced back from a heavy first-leg defeat in the previous round, but Paris Saint-Germain are a far softer touch than Massimiliano Allegri’s side.
In the final two hours of the tie, Barcelona only had four shots on target. The Italian champions-elect shut them out in impressive style at Camp Nou, allowing them just one shot on target. Juventus haven’t won the Champions League since 1996, which is too long for a club of their stature. They’ll feel their greater experience at this level will get them over the line.
How will they play?
It will be fascinating to see how Monaco approach the first leg, as they haven’t yet opened a tie at home in the knockout stage. In the two previous rounds they’ve led in both first legs thanks to scoring counter-attacking goals. Against a well-drilled Juventus team this won’t be easy to repeat.
Monaco have played in a 4-4-2 formation in all four Champions League knockout matches so far. They’ve done so in 27 league matches too, so it would be a surprise to see something different here.
The French side have thrived this season thanks to two forwards who are at opposite ends of their careers. Radamel Falcao, the 31-year-old Colombian who has also played in Portugal, Spain and England, has scored 24 goals in the league and Europe. An 18-year-old sensation who is enjoying a remarkable season partners him up front.
Kylian Mbappe only made 11 appearances in the league last season, scoring one goal. He started slowly this season too, but since the start of February has scored a total of 15 goals. He could certainly set this tie on fire.
Juventus may have employed a wider variety of formations than Monaco this season, but they have gone with a 4-2-3-1 in all of their knockout matches so far. It is unlikely that they will veer far from that in this tie.
Gonzalo Higuain is their top scorer and will play furthest forward, though he hasn’t yet scored in the knockout rounds. The man to watch may be Paulo Dybala, as he has scored in both knockout matches in Turin so far. He’s Juventus’ top scorer in the competition this season with four goals.
At the back, the Italian league leaders have allowed the fewest shots per game of any side in the Champions League this season: 8.8. The back four in both legs against Barcelona consisted of Alves, Bonucci, Chiellini and Sandro, so expect to see that lineup again. With legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon behind them, they’ll provide Monaco with their sternest test of the season so far.
Next: 25 best club soccer teams of all time
Prediction
The Madrid derby in the other semifinal may be the more traditional matchup, by recent times at least. This one has the potential to be more enjoyable, though. An established, immovable Italian giant taking on a team who have scored three goals in all four of their knockout matches makes for an intriguing encounter.
Juventus are unbeaten at home in 22 European matches, so will believe they can get the result they require in Turin. They’ll look to keep the first match very tight, as they’ll be wary of Monaco’s counter-attacking prowess.
Leonardo Jardim’s side are capable of scoring an away goal which could prove vital, but the Old Lady of Turin will take a goalless draw in the first leg before winning through to the final in the return match.
Monaco 1-2 Juventus