On Wednesday, Claudio Ranieri brings his Juventus side to Stamford Bridge a place he is extremely familiar with, and place that has renewed optimism after the appointment of Guus Hiddink. I ponder, whether the tinkerman can deal Chelsea a critical blow in their hunt for trophies in 2009.
A couple of weeks ago, with Luis Felipe Scolari at the helm, I would have called this game a banker for the Bianconeri. Juventus, flying high in Serie A and playing some extremely exciting football, looked a test too far for a Chelsea side who struggled at home in addition to looking jaded and disjointed. A Juventus victory was never in doubt. However, over the last two weeks Scolari has been replaced with a Dutch master tactician, capable of lifting this team from the doldrums and instilling a belief and vigour into a tired side.
Chelsea looked rejuvenated against Aston Villa, controlling large parts of the game, especially the first half. Didier Drogba looks more interested than he has done in recent weeks, while Nicolas Anelka continues to find the back of the net. Along with Lampard, this attacking threat is one Juve cannot treat lightly. As you would expect, Chelsea have a mean defence that is lead by iconic centre back John Terry and has only conceded 15 goals in the Premier League this season. Surely it isn't all that bad for Chelsea?
Juventus on the other hand have been struggling for form of late, Captain, talisman and general ‘Mr Juve', Alessandro Del Piero has been rested and the Bianconeri have struggled. Although they have found it tough, the results have still been positive, even if performances have not. The goal threat of Amauri is a potent one, as he already has 12 in Serie A this season. Furthermore, returning goal machine David Trezeguet and World Cup winner Vincenzo Iaquinta cannot be overlooked.
For me the midfield will be key, as Tiago looks set to face his former club and prove his doubters wrong. Sissoko, Nedved and Camoranesi look set to line up in London, in a midfield I am not entirely convinced about, given Nedved's age and Camoranesi's lack of quality (in my opinion) and fitness (fact). Hopefully Claudio Marchisio and Marco Marchionni get the nod, as they have been outstanding all season.
Moreover the Juventus backline includes the best goalkeeper in the world, Alex Manninger ... sorry I mean, Gianluigi Buffon. Alongside Giorgio Chiellini will be either Nicola Legrottaglie or Olof Mellberg, with Zdenek Grygera and Cristian Molinaro receiving the full back berths. Ranieri's side has a somewhat youthful look about it, with the tactician forced to utilise the ‘kids' as Juve rebuild from Calciopoli. This could be a decision, although somewhat forced could be a masterstroke, because as we well know, "you can't win anything with kids."
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